Fracture **** (2007, Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke, Cliff Curtis, Fiona Shaw, Bob Gunton) – Classic Movie Review 6360

Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling crackle in the 2007 legal thriller Fracture as rich aeronautics engineer Ted Crawford, who has devised the perfect murder of his cheating wife, and Willy Beachum, the cocky young public prosecutor out to get him. 

Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling crackle in Gregory Hoblit’s 2007 legal thriller Fracture as rich aeronautics engineer Ted Crawford, who has devised the perfect murder of his cheating wife Jennifer (Embeth DavFidtz), and Willy Beachum, the cocky, smirky, brilliant young public prosecutor out to get him – if he can.

At his house, Crawford shoots his wife, after confronting her with having an affair with police detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke). Police are called to the scene, including Nunally, who recognises the victim, becomes enraged and assaults the gun wielding perpetrator.

Crawford confesses that he shot his wife and is arrested, while Jennifer is taken to hospital in a fatal coma. Crawford is put on trial for attempted murder and asserts his right to represent himself in court, against the advice of Judge Robinson (Fiona Shaw) presiding over the case.

Ambitious assistant district attorney Beachum thinks that it is an open and shut case, and that he can quickly have done with it so he leave the public prosecutor’s work under the wily DA Joe Lobruto (David Strathairn) and start a new job with a swanky legal firm under alluring, romantically inclined new boss Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike). But, not so fast, Beachum! Crawford has got you covered and is always one step ahead of you.

Director Gregory Hoblit keeps this polished, teasing 2007 legal thriller moving very smartly and satisfyingly. There is an excellent, grippingly plotted screenplay by writers Daniel Pyne (also story) and Glenn Gers that gives the two stars all the room they need to shine, playing to their strengths. And they are quite electric in their scenes together. David Strathairn and Rosamund Pike are also very effective in their star support roles.

Hoblit ensures that it is very smooth, stylish and smart-looking movie, attractively designy and arty, with striking, fluid cinematography by Kramer Morgenthau, as well as eye-catching production design by Paul Eads. And the eerily powerful score by Jeff Danna and Mychael Danna is another classy asset.

Anthony Hopkins crackles as rich aeronautics engineer Ted Crawford in Fracture.

Also in the cast are Rosamund Pike as Gosling’s tautly-strung legal eagle boss and lover Nikki Gardner, David Strathairn as the DA Joe Lobruto, Embeth Davidtz as the cheating wife Jennifer Crawford, Billy Burke as her lover, police lieutenant Rob Nunally, Cliff Curtis as baffled police Detective Flores, Fiona Shaw as Judge Robinson presiding over Hopkins’s case, and Bob Gunton as Nikki Gardner’s father Judge Gardner. It is an excellent cast, playing out fascinating characters.

Fracture did good business of $91,354,215 gross worldwide against a low budget of $10 million.

Gregory Hoblit is also the director of Primal Fear  1996), Fallen (1998), Frequency, Hart’s War and Untraceable (2008).

Fracture runs 114 minutes, is made by Castle Rock Entertainment, Weinstock Entertainment and M7 Filmproduktion, and is released by New Line Cinema (US) and Warner Bros (Germany).

Release date April 20, 2007 (US).

The rolling glass marble kinetic objects are designed by Dutch artist Mark Bischof.

Ted Crawford’s car is a Porsche Carrera GT costing about $670,000. Porsche cancelled the series in April 2006 after making 1,270 handcrafted pieces.

The poem Willy reads to Jennifer in hospital is from Dr Seuss’s Oh the Places You Will Go.

Willy’s house is 3101 Minnesota Street, Los Angeles. Across the road is number 3104, used as Matthew McConaughey’s house in The Lincoln Lawyer (2011).

The cast are Anthony Hopkins as Ted Crawford, Ryan Gosling as Willy Beachum, David Strathairn as District Attorney Joe Lobruto, Rosamund Pike as Nikki Gardner, Embeth Davidtz as Jennifer Crawford, Billy Burke as Lieutenant Rob Nunally, Cliff Curtis as Detective Flores, Fiona Shaw as Judge Robinson, Bob Gunton as Judge Gardner, Xander Berkeley as Judge Moran, Alla Korot as Russian Translator, Tom Virtue as Attorney Apley, Josh Stamberg as Norman, and Zoe Kazan as Mona.

In 2002, Gosling co-starred in a similar psychological thriller Murder by Numbers, He and Michael Pitt play high school seniors who believe they can commit the perfect murder and Sandra Bullock is the detective investigating the crime.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 6360

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