Fracture

Plot synopsis:
Theodore "Ted" Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), a wealthy and talented Irish aeronautical engineer in Los Angeles, discovers that his wife Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz) is having an affair with police detective Robert Nunally (Billy Burke). After confronting his wife, Crawford shoots her, seriously wounding her. Police arrive on the scene, including Nunally. Nunally enters the house and convinces Crawford that they should both put down their guns and Crawford confesses he shot his wife.
Crawford engages in a battle of wits with rising star deputy district attorney William "Willy" Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who considers this an open-and-shut matter and agrees to go to trial immediately. Beachum is busy making preparations for his transition from criminal law to corporate attorney for Wooton & Simms, a well-known law firm, and begins a romantic relationship with his future boss, Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike).
At the trial, Crawford acts as his own attorney, thereby matching up a star prosecutor against a supposedly untrained litigant. Crawford reveals that the arresting officer (Nunally) was having an affair with his wife, assaulted him during his arrest, and was present during his interrogation. Crawford's confession is ruled to be inadmissible as evidence, as it was fruit of the poisonous tree. Beachum discovers that Crawford's handgun was not used to shoot his wife because it had never been fired and did not match the shell casings at the crime scene. As the house was under surveillance the entire time from the shooting to Crawford's arrest, the police are baffled.
Beachum is tempted by Nunally's scheme to plant false evidence to implicate Crawford but decides against it at the last minute. With no new evidence to present to the jury, Beachum is forced to concede the trial, and Crawford is acquitted. The disgraced Nunally commits suicide outside the courtroom.
After the trial, Beachum's future with the prestigious firm is in tatters. However, he also begins to see his job as a D.A. as a means of fighting injustice for those like Crawford's wife. Crawford himself observes this change, joking scathingly that Beachum has "found God". This motivates Beachum to continue searching for evidence almost obsessively. Realizing that Crawford's plan is to dispose of the only eyewitness to the crime, Beachum obtains a court order to keep Jennifer on life support. Beachum arrives at the hospital but is unable to prevent staff turning off Jennifer's life support.
A mix-up of cell phones causes Beachum to realize that both Nunally and Crawford used the same type of gun, a .45 caliber Glock 21. He figures out that before the crime Crawford switched his gun with Nunally's in a hotel room where Jennifer and Nunally secretly met. Crawford shot his wife with Nunally's gun, and then reloaded it. The detective arrived on the scene carrying Crawford's gun, and both Crawford and Nunally laid their weapons down as a preliminary move in hostage negotiations. When Nunally became aware of who the shooting victim was, and tried to revive Jennifer, Crawford switched the guns, retrieving his own unused gun. When Crawford appeared in the room brandishing his gun, Nunally tackles and assaulted him before Crawford's arrest. Nunally unwittingly holstered the murder weapon, letting the unused gun be taken as evidence.
Beachum confronts Crawford with his new evidence. Since she has now died, the bullet lodged in Jennifer's head can now be retrieved and matched with Nunally's gun. Crawford confesses, assuming himself to be protected under the Double Jeopardy Clause. However, Beachum reveals that by allowing his wife to die, Crawford can now be prosecuted for murder, having previously been tried merely for attempted murder. Since he had taken Jennifer off life support, new charges can be filed against Crawford and a new trial can be set. Crawford is arrested by the waiting police.
The film ends with a new trial about to begin, where Beachum prosecutes and Crawford is surrounded by a group of high-priced defense attorneys of Wooton & Simms.

Tags: suspenseful, neo noir, murder, violence, plot twist, action, romantic, revenge

Review:
"Fracture" (2007) is directed by Gregory Hoblit who has also made "Frequency" (2000), "Fallen" (1998) both of which I like and "Primal Fear" (1996) - his feature debut that I love.Crime /Thriller/Mystery /Court Drama are among my favorite genres and as long as the combination of these genres is clever, gripping, atmospheric, well acted, keeps me guessing and entertains me, I am happy.
Besides being an entertaining crime movie, the most interesting element of "Fracture" is a struggle of wills and intellects between two main characters, self-made inventor - millionaire Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) who shot his unfaithful wife in the face and put her in a coma and young, successful and smart assistant D.A. Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who has a 97% conviction rate and is assigned to prosecute Crawford just when he is ready to accept a lucrative offer from the prestigious LA law firm.
The game of cat and mouse that highly intelligent and malevolent Crawford plays with Beachum makes the film interesting and the scenes between Hopkins (in his "playful Dr. Lector" mode) and Gosling (whose character does change as he realizes what he is dealing with from the unsympathetic self-centered hot shot to the man who becomes obsessed by the case, vows to put the murderer behind the bars and makes it his priority) - riveting and joy to watch.
When the police arrive, he confesses and hands in his weapon, and the case is passed on to hotshot DDA Willy Beachum (Gosling), who sees this, his final public service trial before he moves onwards and upwards, to be a slam-dunk case; but alas, thanks to Crawford's mind games, things are not what they seem and the case undergoes a series of twists and turns as Crawford and Beachum engage in a tense battle of wits.The most obviously noticeable thing about Fracture is the how well-polished it all is.
While the Hopkins-Gosling clashes make the movie, they are ably supported by David Straitharn, Rosamund Pike, and Billy Burke, who all inject a bit more life and background into the film.While the ride is comfortable for the most part, Fracture slips a gear towards the end; the shift from murder mystery to moral crusade feels a little bumpy, but nonetheless, strong performances and great artistic direction make Fracture a stylish, clever and enjoyable thriller that's definitely worth a look..
Very elaborate and detailed production design contributes a sense of authenticity to this story, set in Los Angeles, about a highly intelligent and wealthy older man named Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) who kills his unfaithful wife.
But, if you don't pay too much attention to these annoying little details, the plot does roll merrily along with some good drama and suspense.Anthony Hopkins is well cast as Crawford, and gives a predictably adroit performance.
When Willy's boss talks with him about being taken off the case, Willy responds: "Even if I find new evidence?" To which his boss retorts: "From where, the evidence store?"Despite a seriously flawed script, "Fracture" is a highly absorbing movie, thanks largely to meticulous production values, and to shrewd performances from Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling..
Blessed with a smart script, stylish direction and first-rate performances by Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, "Fracture" emerges as more than just the "Silence of the Lambs" knock-off it would appear to be on the surface.In a role reminiscent of a somewhat toned-down (i.e. non-cannabilistic) Hannibal Lecter, Hopkins plays Ted Crawford, a wealthy L.A. businessman who shoots his wife when he discovers she's having an affair with a hostage negotiator.
Beachum gets more than he bargained for, however, when the creepy and unnerving Crawford begins to play the legal system for all it's worth, tweaking the hotshot lawyer by outthinking him and continually knocking him off his game.In less capable hands, "Fracture" could easily have been a standard-issue, twist-and-turn courtroom drama, but thanks to the talents involved, it transcends the limitations of its genre.
Moreover, the film has a nice L.A. feel to it, as it takes us to various interesting sites around town, including the ultra-modern, near-surrealistic Disney Concert Hall located in the heart of the city.There is strong supporting work by David Straitharn ("Good Night, and Good Luck"), Billy Burke, Rosamund Pike and Fiona Shaw ("Mountains of the Moon"), among others, but it is Hopkins and Gosling, locked in a life-or-death battle of acumen and wits, who make "Fracture" a perpetually compelling and watchable courtroom thriller..
While it might not be possible in real life, it worked magic on the big screen and transformed into an excellent film almost within the first few minutes.Even though Sir Anthony Hopkins played a role almost exactly identical to that of his previous Hannibal Lecter, it was still great to see him back in this form because that's what I always thought he was best at: the maniacal genius.
Only once, I think, have I ever proclaimed something "best movie of the year" and all that, because it's all too subjective and also a cliché but that's how I feel about this movie unless something better comes along the last few months of 2007.This is just a fabulous movie with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling playing battling characters who engage in a battle of wits.
Sir Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, and Rosamund Pike star in "Fracture," a 2007 film directed by Gregory Hobbitt.I only have one complaint about this film, which is that I had eye strain because it was so dark throughout.
Desperate, Willy begs his boss (Strathairn) to see it through.Great story, very clever, with Hopkins and Gosling playing an effective cat and mouse game throughout.
With both men, it's almost as if one can read his thoughts as Hopkins gives a half smile and Gosling stares and sets his jaw.Though this story is about the conflict between two massive egos who always win, the underlying mystery is excellent as well.If you like this kind of film, and I do, don't miss this one..
So save for some scenes with Gosling and Hopkins, the audience gets to watch a bland story unfold without any real sense of interest.Luckily, the casting director did a great job and the performances were able to save the film.
Anthony Hopkins was playing a familiar character yet it was still great to watch him on screen and he was the best part about the movie.
Shall we grant him retrospective absolution for his technical sins in so many earlier films?) Ryan Gosling is, I suppose, very good at playing his unsympathetic and arrogant character, and it works, but just by a whisker.
When it looks like he's won, Willy has to do everything in his power to really let him sink his teeth in.Fracture is a thriller that's been getting some pretty rave reviews, and it's by no means an awful film, maybe just somewhat over-rated.
It's a clever idea for a film, and it works out quite interestingly, but a little far fetched and unbelievable (i.e. Hopkins drawing attention in court to his wife having an affair, giving him a great motive for killing her.) Because the plot is so slovenly, the narrative flow is really lost by the end and it's all got a little boring.On the performances front, Hopkins just regurgitates his Hannibal Lecter routine over again, his character coming off as a little autistic.
When DDA Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling)finds out the gun Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) used to shoot his wife Jennifer Crawford (Embeth Davidtz)does not match the gun recovered at the crime scene it's very interesting.
The gardener Ciro (Carlos Cervantes) calls the police and the negotiator Rob, who does not know the last name of his lover, gets the murder weapon and a confession from Ted.Meanwhile, the young and efficient but arrogant prosecutor Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) is resigning his position in the low-pay public service work to join the private civil-law firm Wooton Sims but decides to accept the case, which is his assessment is easily resolved.
But sooner the winner Willy learns that the evidences can not be accepted in the trial and despite knowing that Ted is the killer, the murder weapon is missing and he needs to get new evidences otherwise he will lose the case and Ted will be a free man.I bought "Fracture" on DVD a couple of years ago and I did not see this film until yesterday: my bad.
The duel between Anthony Hopkins, in one of his best recent works in the role of a manipulative and cold blood killer, and Ryan Gosling, in the role of an ambitious but human lawyer, is excellent.Films of trial are usually attractive, at least for me.
He plays a wealthy man who shoots his wife but has a devious plan to get away with murder.Now whilst some of the plot actions may play loose with the reality of the law profession and practice, at the same time there are lots of twists and turns in the movie that ring true about the workings of the legal system.All the cast give excellent performances and add to that a clever script, then,this picture merits:8/10..
Davidtz is adequate for the few scenes she is in, but Pike, as the bitchy barrister who pursues Beachum, does not rise above the mundane material written for her character.The film's style helps create a sense of menace, especially the outdoor, wide-angle shots that come from nowhere but remind us that things are more distorted than they seem.The best reason to see this movie is a suspenseful battle between two compelling characters, played by two impressive actors..
The story is how he manipulates the system and the people working in it for his own ends.Hopkins's wife is having an affair with homicide detective Billy Burke and we know that also right at the beginning.
My favorite in the film however is Billy Burke as the tragic detective in the story.Recommended for fans of Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling..
The characters who cheat on their spouses are portrayed as normal people, while a husband who kills his wife for cheating is portrayed as a coldblooded killer.Anthony Hopkins was as usual enjoyable to watch, but the other actors just annoyed me throughout the film.
Also, what seemed pointless or at least questionable was Nikki's character and her relationship with Willy; this arc didn't seem to be useful or to add any depth to the scenario.The characters were well developed, but Gosling felt a bit a miscast whereas Hopkins was fascinating and did a great job.As for the direction, it was very good as was the photography/lighting, a bit Fincher like.All in all it's a solid movie, a bit lengthy at moments, that could have been truly great with a few tweaks..
A young prosecutor (Ryan Gosling) tries to climb the ladder of success by getting involved in a case surrounding a conniving defendant (Anthony Hopkins) and the attempted murder of his wife, whom he shot after she was spotted having an affair with a man revealed to be the arresting officer at the scene.
The plot at times felt very weak and towards they end you begin to loose concentration on what they whole thing is about.Ryan Gosling for me looked out of his depth, he at times delivered a pretty good performance, but for they most part you could see that he lacked they on screen presence that is needed in a film of this genre.
The rest of the film centrers around Ryan Gosling's character trying to prove the crime after various things happen to collapse the case.This could have been a very good movie.
But despite this the movie suffers from a script that fails to keep that secret that would make the story work: most viewers will be able to figure out the 'mystery' far before its discovery poses the end of the film.Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) is an older wealthy man married for a year to a younger beauty (Embeth Davidtz) and happens to spy on her with her current paramour, detective Rob Nunally (Billy Burke), confronts her at home and shoots her in the face with the intention of killing her.
Meanwhile a young lawyer Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) while working for the District Attorney office with Joe Labruto (David Strathairn) sniffs that all is not right with the case while at the same time vying his career choices with transferring to a law firm under the eye of Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike).
The remainder of the story is how Willy solves the case and while most people will have figured it out, revealing it in a review robs potential viewers from the cat and mouse game the film is supposed to be.Both Hopkins and Gosling are superb, even with a script that is weak, and simply watching them perform is reason enough to see the film.
From the first frame until the last, Anthony Hopkins brings to the screen a performance as powerful as SILENCE OF THE LAMBS with a "fractured" character that is a perfect foil for the brilliance of Ryan Gosling, on his own journey to find his true legal calling.The locations, sets, directing and the writing all come together in FRACTURE in a chilling tale which keeps you glued to your seat until the end.
Ryan Gosling is developing into such a strong presence on the screen, along with the enormous power of Anthony Hopkins, that with FRACTURE you hope to see both of them paired again in a future film.
Ryan Gosling is the absolute pits as an actor and why he has been chosen for this role is beyond me and once again we have Anthony Hopkins with his usual know it all attitude which he seems to carry into every movie after Silence of the lambs.
In spite of his long and distinguished career in movies and in the theatre,Anthony Hopkins was,is and will be remembered for his amazing performance of Hannibal Lecter.His filmography includes every genre but he frequently appears on a movie which suggests mystery to compare him with his performance in The Silence of the Lambs.But,sometimes,the result is not too good,as we can see in Fracture,a good but mediocre movie.First,I'm going to mention the good elements this film has:Hopkins has an excellent performance in here but I also have to mention Ryan Gosling,who has a really brilliant performance in this movie.What is more,the scenes in which these two actors are together are tense and exciting.Having said that,I have to mention Fracture is a little boring in some parts and I also found it frequently absurd.Nobody expects realism in one of these legal dramas,but I would have preferred more logical arguments(specially,at the end of the movie).Also,the screenplay is inflated for too much sub-plots which land nowhere.For example,Willy Beachum(Gosling's character)decides to solve quickly the case to accept a very attractive job in a particular company and his conflicts(and possible romance)with his future boss are irrelevant.I mean,this sub-plot does not reach anything to the story.Director Gregory Hoblit does not show too much artistic zeal in this movie.This sounds as a negative commentary,but I have to say that,except for some parts,Fracture kept me fun.But the film is mediocre and,with Hopkins and Gosling in the cast,the film could have been much better..
First off, Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling acted superbly in this film.
It's one of the best, most enjoyable recent films from Hollywood; "could have been a contender" to be called great if only it went beyond pure entertainment, if it left the viewer with some lasting thoughts or feelings beyond the fun of watching it - which is nothing to sneeze at.Starring the most seductive evil-doer in all cinema, Anthony Hopkins, "Fracture" is an upside-down, Hitchcockian thriller.
i think this was billed as a legal thriller.trouble is,it's not really thrilling.it sort of plods along to the inevitable end.plus,in my opinion,Anthony Hopkins(the bad guy),appears to be doing a lighter variation of Hannibal Lector.i also felt Ryan Gosling,as the main good guy,was a bit too young for the character he portrayed.but there are some bright spots in the movie.one of them is David Strathairn,who i feel is a very underrated actor and not utilized enough.and i thought the ending was a refreshing change from most movies of the genre.anyway,the movie wasn't boring enough to quit watching,but before the end credits had rolled,i had only become half interested.Gregory Hoblit directed this movie,and he also directed Primal Fear,which in my mind is a much superior thriller.you might want to check it out.as for Fracture,i give it a 6/10.
Hopkins and Gosling star as 2 men on opposite sides when one tries to kill his wife, the other having to prosecute.Ryan Gosling is a hot shot attorney who is on his way to the big time with a major private company, but one last case to be added to his 95% rate of wins seduces him into taking it on given its open and closed nature.Problem is, it is anything but closed, and the seemingly amiable Ted, charged with attempted murder of his wife, is anything but a silly old man with no idea what he is doing in the courtroom without a clue how to defend himself.When he pulls a rabbit out of the hat, Gosling's Willy (no pun intended) realises he isn't just going to walk out of that court with another win and a high flying job at the private firm.This movie is, in short, a total delight.
Gosling is Willy Beachum, a smug young lawyer on his way to a bright career in the private sector who ends up playing a cat and mouse game he could do without.Crawford shots his wife Jennifer, because she has an affair with Lt. Nunally, and Homicide cop and then sets a crazy plan in motion.
At the beginning of the film we see Ted Crawford - beautifully played by Anthony Hopkins - who is obviously a brilliant man.
The film drags whenever he is not on the screen."Fracture" is not a great movie, but Anthony Hopkins makes it enjoyable..