Anthony Hopkins has long established himself as one of the most respected actors of our time, while Ryan Gosling is starting to develop a resume that puts him in a small group of up-and-coming young actors.
The two square off in the new film #8220Fracture, an entertaining enough courtroom drama that works largely due to its star power. Hopkins and Gosling go at each other with so much gusto that their performances bring a lot of fun to material that is actually quite preposterous if you stop and think about it.
Gosling plays Willy Beachum, a hot shot assistant district attorney about to make a move to a plush private firm. Before he leaves, Willy agrees to take one final case that appears to be a slam dunk a wealthy man named Ted Crawford (Hopkins) is accused of trying to murder his wife after he found out she was having an affair.
While the case appears to be airtight, complete with a signed confession, the evidence begins to unravel and Willy becomes immersed in a psychological game of cat and mouse with Ted.
The Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers script has plenty of flaws, including a resolution that I believe is legally impossible, but director Gregory Hoblit (who also did the underrated 1996 courtroom drama #8220Primal Fear ) is able to maneuver the material into a rather believable-looking film.
Of course Hoblit gets a huge assist from his two leads. When the two actors are on the screen together, #8220Fracture sizzles.
Hopkins is channeling his Hannibal Lecter days, but in an entertaining way, while Gosling perfectly embodies the hotshot arrogance of his character, complete with a fall from grace and ultimate redemption.
Perhaps the MVP of #8220Fracture should be the casting director, who has taken what was probably a mediocre film at best and, with a couple of perfect casting choices, has made it into a somewhat compelling and entertaining thriller.
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