Fracture
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn
Rated: R for language and some violent content
Duration: 1 hr. 52 mins
Plot: Assistant district attorney Willy Beachum (Gosling) matches wits with the man (Hopkins) who tried to kill his wife and evaded sentencing via a series of technicalities.

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My Review: Fracture is one of those court room drama movies where it’s a battle of wits rather than evidence and personally, I’d never want to go up against the guy who played Hannibal in that sort of game. Ryan Gosling plays the hot shot young prosecutor with a 97% conviction rating and with a success rate like that stated early on you just know he’s about to be thrown a curve ball. Enter Hopkins who masterfully plays his role as the admitted attempted murderer of his run around wife. A seemingly open and shut case quickly becomes a dangerous pursuit and Gosling’s case crumbles around him as Hopkins slowly pulls it apart, brick by brick.

Fracture was a pretty fun movie to watch, though its rather predictable. Thankfully it’s the journey, not the destination that makes this one worthwhile. I felt a sense of well crafted, poetic delivery of the scenes and character interactions that were supported much better by the dialogue than the premise. If you’re looking for a court room drama with a clincher of a finish then check out Primal Fear starring Gere, Linney, and Norton. While Hopkins obviously is going to take home the acting trophy I was very impressed with the supporting acting of Ryan Gosling. I’ve seen him in a number of movies in the past few years and he continues to get better each time (though I’m worried about his next movie where he falls in love with a mannequin and it’s not Kim Cattrall).

Overall I did enjoy Fracture for its intelligent and entertaining aspects despite the ending feeling rushed and forced like children who realize they only have a few seconds left to finish a puzzle. If you’re a Hopkins fan this one should be on your list as you get to enjoy a few near-Hannibal moments. For the legal eagles this one won’t topple the jury, but it should still return a favorable verdict.

My rating: 3.5/5 stars
High point: Hopkins channeling Hannibal
Low point: The ending felt choppy, forced

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