From its beautifully shot and melodic opening sequence, crime thriller Fracture captured my attention.
Set in L.A., it stars the great Anthony Hopkins as the extremely intelligent and wealthy Ted Crawford. In what appears to be a fit of passion, Crawford shoots his beautiful wife Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz) for having an affair with Detective Nunally (Billy Burke).
Crawford admits to the crime and it seems like an easy, open and shut case. So the young and ambitious assistant DA, Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), lacking judgment, agrees to go to trial. Thus begins a thrilling cat and mouse game that pits these two great actors against one another.
Director Gregory Hoblit, best known for the wonderful thriller Primal Fear, does a great job with this film. He tells a clear story that enhances the suspense needed for this genre.
The script took 6 years to come to life and it shows – it's well thought through. Not only are there twists and turns galore but the film also explores what happens when arrogance, intellect and wealth comes up against youth's cockiness, resilience and hard work.
Fracture is elevated though clever casting. It's at its best when Hopkins and Gosling are on screen together, bobbing and weaving with such confidence. Anthony Hopkins devours what is his second on screen role as a villain. The only problem was that at times I thought I was watching Hannibal again. But hey, he is such a master with words and so watchable. And Ryan Gosling is one of the best actors working today. So detailed and charismatic was his performance. The pairing of these two is a pleasure to watch.
Beautifully shot by Kramer Morgenthau who is definitely a talent to watch out for. His use of light and colour helped to highlight the class differences between the characters, whilst adding a dash of noir.
I definitely recommend you just go with it and not treat it too seriously, cause it is what it is – a thriller.
