Fracture

...is the name of the movie I saw today. It released in 2007 and starred Ryan Gosling and Anthony Hopkins. It was a crime thriller about a crafty businessman Crawford (Hopkins) who murders his wife because she is having an affair. He then tries to get away scot free since the public prosecutor Beachum (Gosling) is intent on climbing up the corporate ladder and unable to put up a convincing case. The movie's title derives from Crawford's pet theory that everyone has a weakness, a fracture that needs to be found. In case of Beachum, it is his drive to always win.
Beachum takes the case thinking that it will be another win as public prosector before he moves into his new career as corporate lawyer. However very soon things begin to go wrong for Beachum and he realises that the deceptive Hopkins is not a bumbling old man but a worthy adversary.

The movie was interesting enough though I felt it could have delivered much more. So many movies are often built just on a good premise. Almost the entire suspense centred around the discovery of the murder weapon which was just too unidimensional for a good thriller. I felt the plot could have been more gripping. The construct is weak and leaves room for many questions like why doesn't Crawford kill his wife in a way that would attach no suspicion to himself rather than turning the whole episode into a media circus, choosing to fight against a lawyer he knows is sharp and loves winning. Really the movie had the flavour of other similar thrillers one has seen. The interactions between Hopkins and Gosling could have been sharper and the key hooks of the story. But they lack the intended bite.

What keeps one's attention are the two key performers. Hopkins was of course very convincing as the chillingly evil murderer, the blue of his eyes only recalling his days as Hannibal Lecter. It is something that he has become too used to doing I think, the polished, cold blooded manipulator whose very suavity inspires dread. I had not watched much of Gosling before and was impressed with his screen presence. He played the role of a cocky young lawyer almost too well. Too over-confident as though he could get by on the strength of his attitude alone.
That was pretty much what the movie was about - Gosling's almost annoying self assurance with a dash of Hopkins' typical style of chills.

In any case, it was a good way to spend an evening at home and its been a long time since I saw a thriller so I won't complain too much. Besides, Ryan Gosling made me feel like I wanted to see some of his other performances. And yes, he's kinda cute in formal wear. :)

6.5/10.