Moview Review: Fracture

Movie Title: Fracture
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, Rosamund Pike, Billy Burke, David Straithairn, Embeth Davidtz
Directed by: Gregory Hoblit
Genre: Thriller/Drama/Mystery
My Rating: 8/10

Fracture is a masterpiece movie with masterpiece actors and production values. The story and plot-line could have easily been stolen into an episode of TV's Law & Order and boosted up its ratings enough to last the show another season. However, nobody could enact such a story better than Hopkins and Gosling.

Hopkins plays Theodore Crawford, a millionaire owner of an aerodynamics firm, with expertise in fracture mechanism and thermodynamics. Ok, just understand he's a genius in a way. He's old, 60+, busy with work, and a much younger wife Jennifer(a gracious Davidtz) = she has an affair! But that's the only cliché. Hollywood seems to never tire itself of jealous older sugar daddies these days. Ted shoots Jennifer in the same jealous rage, his arresting police officer turns out to be the man she was having an affair with, and Ted knows it all along. Moreover, it turns out the gun Ted was holding during the arrest wasn't the same gun Jennifer was shot with, and with no matching gun found in the house.... he's a free man.

Gosling is a young prosecutor, William Beachum, about to embark on a new career in private practice and finally making the 3 figure salary not many people would have made serving the people. His new boss was going to be Nikki Gardner, played by the uber-gorgeous bondgirl Rosamund Pike, who he manages to have a go with just before working under her. Smart, at least they wouldn't have sexual tension.

BUT - his current boss, played by the usually underrated David Straithairn, wants him to take on a last case in his final two weeks at the D.A.'s office, and it turns out to be prosecuting Ted Crawford. After Crawford walks free due to the technicality, Beachum decides to go after the Crawford case to soften his ego, even if it meant losing his present job as well as his future job. Thus begins the cat-and-mouse game with no chase needed.

Hopkins was cold, similar to his Hannibal Lector roles, but just not so blood hungry. The emotionless wisecracks and insensitive sarcasms added some humor to the movie, which somewhat helped the flow. Gosling was excellent. He's one of those young actors you can easily rely on for a great performance. The supporting cast did a decent job as well.

The acting and script execution throughout the movie was superb. However, my only problem was people's accents. Ryan Gosling spoke with a drawl of a southern accent. Pike spoke with an American accent, something I've never heard that brit lady speak in before and it was kind of weird. Hopkins actually kept his Welsh accent, which wasn't bad just a bit odd, different say. In the second half I believe it starts sounding more ... Irish? Hmm...

8/10 - watch it in the theater, or rent it... you'll enjoy it either way.