Fracture - movie review

What do you do when a movie starts with a man killing his wife in cold blood and the audience KNOWS he did it. It was shown to us - right from the beginning and the killer confessed. How does a movie a proceed to be a legal "thriller" when the answer to the who-dunnit question is already out there?



Well, for starters you enlist Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling to be the sparring partners. Hopkins plays the killer with a twisted agenda and Gosling the ADA with his foot halfway out the door to public practice taking a last "open & shut" case. Afterall, there is a confession. And Gosling's Beachum has a 90%+ conviction rate. And so the game begins to dispense justice in a system.

Seriously, whoever thought of putting these two in a room together had the right thinking cap on. Both actors are best when playing the subtlties. Both actors excel when the punch is in the words more than the actions. Both actors give both arrogance and charm true life. And so, when they face-off you can expect great things to be delivered. And Fracture is impressive because of them.

Fracture is an intelligent film - not just in design but in execution. Light is used to great effect in every scene. You can't help but notice it. It's power to illuminate or create shadow becomes a detail to each set piece. But the film is really trying to highlight the details of the legal system. Similar to other films such as The Verdict, A Civil Action and The Rainmaker, Fracture is about how the law works and how it affects those involved. It clearly expresses the potential disconnect between legal and moral. And proves that the details are not only for the devil but are for those seeking to catch him.