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Hopkins, Gosling make Fracture a smash |
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Written by COREY LAMBERT
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Thursday, 26 April 2007 |
In a matter of days, “Spiderman 3” will kick off “The Summer of the Sequel,” a three-month period promising follow-ups to mega-hits “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Harry Potter,” and “Shrek,” to name a few. But before any webs are spun, before any planks are walked, and before any talking donkeys whine their way to a theatre near you, Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling star in “Fracture,” a courtroom thriller lacking special effects, but loaded with star power.
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"Fracture"
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 Entertainment
 Art
Directed by Gregory Hoblit
Written by Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers
Starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling
Rate R for Language and Violent Content
Released April 20, 2007
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Ted Crawford (Hopkins), a brilliant aerospace engineer with an affinity for detecting tiny flaws, is jailed for the attempted murder of his adulterous wife (Embeth Davidtz). Assigned to his case is hotshot assistant defense attorney Willy Beachum (Gosling), a courtroom stud who is weeks away from a cushy new corporate job at a prestigious firm. After the judge declares all of the evidence against Crawford unusable, Beachum scrambles to scrape together a case. When he fails to do so, Crawford is released from prison and Beachum is fired from his job. Obsessed with uncovering the truth, Beachum begins a crusade for justice.
Set in a hyper beautified modern-day Los Angeles, “Fracture” begins in the ominous tone of a horror flick but morphs into a thrilling, twist-a-minute battle of wits. The script is both dark and funny, the plot is engaging, and the cast is chock-full of Hollywood’s finest (Oscar nominee David Strathairn has a supporting role).
Hopkins is at his Hannibal Lecter best, a husband-turned-criminal who possesses a tranquil rage that makes him hard to hate but easy to fear. His quiet winks and smirks are both charming and terrifying, blurring the lines between genial grandfather and masterminded monster. Gosling, fresh off an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of a drug addicted teacher in “Half Nelson,” is back in the loner-with-a-cause role, again delivering a soaring performance, even when pitted against the man responsible for Hollywood’s most noteworthy villain.
While the film as a whole is enjoyable, the scenes with both Hopkins and Gosling are deliciously fun to watch, a ballet of acumen and hubris, vintage and voguish, Hollywood mature versus Hollywood maturing. Powered by AkoComment 2.0! |
