3xHCCH (22 May 2012)

Good but Feels Familiar

This is a very dark film, both thematically and visually. It is aboutinfidelity, revenge, murder, and manipulation of the justice system.Both Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling act up a storm. Even if he didnot intend it (or maybe he did), Hopkins had a Hannibal Lecter feel inhis character. Ryan had his work cut out for him since Hopkinsdominates every scene he was in. But Ryan more than held his own. The actor who played the cop Nunnaly, Billy Burke (from "24"), was veryhammy. Gosling's new boss, played by icy Rosamund Pike, was, for me, auseless character. This angle was the worst written part of this film.The revelations were done well, but I can't help feeling I have seenthis kind of resolution somewhere else before.

Dragan Antulov (22 May 2012)

postupci likova se svode na uobi%u010Dajene kli%u0161eje

Kevin Crust (18 May 2012)

The best way to enjoy it is to suspend your disbelief and soak up the actorly tête-à-tête that pits wily veteran Anthony Hopkins against young gun Ryan Gosling in the kind of courtroom potboiler that can be fun if you let it.

treeskier802 (17 May 2012)

Characters Grip Your Interest Even Though Premise Is A Stretch

The two leading characters in this film played by Gosling and Hopkinsreally grasped my interest. They were both engaging in a way that mademe hang on to every word they said. Their war of wits with each otherwas a pleasure to watch. Gosling is refreshing and held his own againstthe brilliant Hopkins.With that said, the plot is quite a stretch. Hopkins kills his wifewith a well-thought out, yet highly unlikely plot, which is onlybelievable because Hopkins' character is so intelligent. But, at thesame time, the plot is so unbelievable because Everything and I meaneverything goes just as he has planned it. In the real world, in theheat of a murder, you would have to believe something would happen NOTaccording to plan. Something! Anyway, Hopkins faces Gosling in a war ofwits in the courtroom. Gosling is a hotshot prosecuter who has neverlost a case. Hopkins is simply a genius.However, and do not read this part if you don't want to spoil theending, Gosling baits Hopkins at the end. Hopkins was acquitted withattempted murder and for some reason, the genius he is, doesn't realizethat once his wife is now dead from her coma, he can be charged withmurder. So, double indemnity is off the table. Sure he would haverealized this...this guy who set up this unbelievable complex crime andthen acted as his own lawyer and got an acquittal. Hmm.Anyway, I am rating this movie a 7 of 10 because it was entertaining tosee Hopkins act as the super smart bad guy again and to have Goslingmatch wits with him just as well as Jody Foster did. If you think aboutthis film and its plot holes and cheesiness of the copying of Hopkins'previous roles, then you lose respect for it. This will inadvertentlyhappen to you if you ponder this movie AFTER watching it. With thatsaid, in the throes of watching this film, you can be taken in. It canbe entertaining. Not a great film. Mildly good. Rating 7 of 10 stars.

(15 May 2012)

So Good......

I was held in suspense all the way through. I didn't have it figured out. I loved the characters so much. I was so charmed by Anthony Hopkins that at the first I kind of wanted him to get away with it. I changed my tune when events happened closer to the end and I could see he was a monster. I think people who like suspense and legal thrillers will like this. I liked the distractions that kind of tried to draw you off track like the metal architecture sculpture that they kept showing that made you wonder what it had to do with the gun. I would watch this again and I would tell others to watch it for the suspense and good characters.I like older movies like this one.The Verdict This is not a murder mystery but it is a good legal thriller.

ferrell (15 May 2012)

Contains Spoilers Because the Filmmakers Spoiled the Movie!

It's wrong. It's just wrong. What a waste of everyone's time. Theactors, the crew, the audience.The script has a nice, tight little package showing how Crawford gotaway with it. Leave it alone. Just walk away. But, NO! They couldn't dothat could they? Even the movie "Double Jeopardy" got it wrong. Thelegal rule of double jeopardy applies to not being able to be triedtwice for THE SAME CRIME! In "Double Jeopardy" she was trying tocorrect a mistake of the court system (see "People Will Talk" 1951which will properly explain the whole thing.) When she killed herhusband for a second time, it was a DIFFERENT CRIME … no doublejeopardy applies. Now "Fracture" comes along and says now that she'sdead we can try you all over again. Guess what? They can't! It's stillthe SAME CRIME! Just because you now have a different result doesn'tmake it a different crime. If this were true everyone who had ever putsomeone in a coma and then the victim died some years later could beretried. They can't. Why couldn't the filmmakers invest in one hour ofa criminal attorney's time? It would have saved them lots of grief.And what's this business about claiming "now we have the bullet?" Sowhat? All that proves it that the bullet came from Detective Nunnally'sgun. Crawford says "I don't know how he did it but somehow DetectiveNunnally shot my wife. It's his gun. Oh, the video of me going intotheir hotel room? That's not me. Prove it." And just how was Crawfordsupposed to pull this slight of hand trick with switching the gunsback? Their guns were twenty-five feet apart in the ensuing scuffle.Remember, they each laid them aside before talking? Are we reallysupposed to believe that Crawford ran to the front door, switched theguns and ran back again while Nunnally was agonizing over the body?Possible maybe. Plausible no.Beacham's futile attempt at a stay on pulling the plug on Crawford'swife … why didn't it occur to him to use the telephone? A call from theDistrict Attorney's office saying "I have a stay and it will bedelivered shortly" would in real life have been enough. Just drop thiswhole part of the storyline. It makes no sense.Speaking of making no sense, what happened to Nikki Gardner? She justmelted away.The excuse that Hollywood has a responsibility to show that crime isalways punished? Hundreds of movies have broken this code since theearly fifties. So what's new? Other than that, good movie. Should havejust stopped right after the trial, followed by a narrated epiloguegiving some plausible explanation as to how the guns got switched andinforming us that Ryan Gosling and Rosamund Pike live happily everafter. The audience can live with that. But this Deus Ex Machina endingjust won't fly.

(08 May 2012)

Very Suspenseful, did not like the ending

This review is from: Fracture [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) This movie was suspenseful and seemed to keep my attention on it but the ending just did not seem to fit well. Since in my opinion an ending can make or break a movie, it in my opinion it really broke this movie. I believe the extra features contain an alternative ending but it did not differ much from the original. I am not a big Anthony Hopkins fan but really played his role well here. Maybe a more appropriate ending could have made this movie really good. If you like movies with suspense then check-it out since some people might find the ending ok.Peter J. MillerTraverse City, MIpeterjoemiller@gmail.com

(07 May 2012)

Nifty Mystery Benefits from Standout Leads...

"Fracture" trods upon very familiar ground for mystery lovers; a genius (Anthony Hopkins) plans and executes the 'Perfect Crime', and it's up to a young 'blue collar but upwardly mobile' D.A. (Ryan Gosling), to find the flaw, and bring him to justice. Despite a somewhat flat finale (the flaw should be obvious, if you are observant), the performances are so good that the film is a genuinely entertaining noir.Hopkins' on-screen persona is so well established, at this point in his career, that his back-story as a brilliant, charming psychopath requires little screen time. A scene showing his authority at work, another of him spying on his much younger wife (Embeth Davidtz) enjoying an indiscretion at a motel, and his confrontation with the cheating spouse, ending with a bullet in her head, just seems 'natural'. Of course, this is just the framework to a scheme that will also destroy her lover, and humiliate the police and judicial system, while he smiles and taunts Gosling. Nobody 'taunts' better than Hopkins, and his genteel superiority and cockiness is great fun to watch!Gosling's role is far more complex, and isn't helped by an abrupt reversal of his morality that is poorly written, but he does a remarkable job. A country boy, complete with a southern twang, he disguises a self-centered ruthlessness with an off-handed charm. With a 97% conviction rate (achieved by passing 'no-win' cases off to others), he coldly breaks an agreement with a defense counsel to win a big case, resulting in a job offer from the prestigious firm he'd just defeated. He is on the fast track, a fact he plays to the hilt, as he serves his notice to the D.A.'s office, is introduced into the world of 'big fees', and seduces his mentor (Rosamund Pike, sporting a perfect American accent). Reluctantly, he agrees to one last assignment, the arraignment of Hopkins...which will knock his well-laid plans completely off-kilter, as his involvement is a key element in Hopkin's scheme.While there are obvious plot-holes (how could Hopkins be certain Gosling would be the DA assigned to the case?), the cat-and-mouse duel between the adversaries is a joy, with two actors at the top of their game. "Fracture" isn't a great film, but it is involving, and Hopkins and Gosling's performances give it an extra 'star' in my rating!

Todd Hertz (07 May 2012)

A showcase of acting's present and future: one of the greatest living actors cast as the wily, wise vet, and one of Hollywood's most promising young talents as the rising star.

(06 May 2012)

Not 2 Bad

I would say this was a really good movie. I would recommend to watch. i don't know about buy though. It was kind of predictable if you actually look at all the clues , think about what's going on, and know something about law. Than it probably wont be as interesting in the end, but it was still a good movie.

(01 May 2012)

Lawyers: don't watch this movie.

If you are a lawyer, please don't watch this movie, it'll drive you nuts a la "The Devil's Advocate"1. Ryan Gosling is playing a phenomenally talented D.A. Who takes a job at a big law firm (only Hollywood thinks those Biglaw firm jobs are hard to get and desirable to working anywhere else in law; please), and who then on day one sleeps with a Partner. Okaaaay. Oh, and apparently those lawyers never work, they just go to fancy parties. Riiiiight. 2. He's such a fantastic D.A., but he can't win a murder case without the murder weapon? Really?? It's an airtight case with or without the weapon and confession. And (without spoiling the ending) he has to look up a law that every lawyer, not to mention every viewer of legal thrillers, is 100% aware of?

(01 May 2012)

Glossy star-vehicle thriller

This is an enjoyable enough thriller - has that `seen it before' vibe, but raised above the level of the plethora of similar movies by its star performances and glossy veneer.Plot wise, the obligatory twist in the standard murder investigation is that we see right off that Anthony Hopkins murders his wife. The rub comes, when he looks like he might get away with it, and the only thing between him and freedom is a young up-and-coming public prosecutor, played by Ryan Gosling. He is starting a new job for a new boss (Rosamund Pike, from Die Another Day - much sexier here) in a high profile corporate law firm. So for him it becomes a question of conscience - can he let the murderer go, so that he can move on with his new career, or will he jeapordise his new career to do whatever it takes to `bring him down'.So things are set up less as a whodunit, but more as a Columbo episode format. We know he did it - but will the good guy figure it out? None of the scenes have too much in the way of surprises, and the twists are fairly well flagged. So what we are left with is a very glossy looking thriller with superior performances. Sure, Hopkins has had better moments, and could be accused of sleepwalking through the movie, but Hopkins on autopilot is still better than the rest of the pack. And the big surprise is Ryan Gosling - here, he puts in a memorable central performance. The movie hinges on our buying into this character, and Gosling pulls it off. It's Gosling that raises this to a 4 star movie.It's clear the plot set up will never be entirely satisfactorily resolved, as evidenced by the two alternative endings where they played with how best to finish the story off. In the end, they chose the best option, even if it does feel somewhat anticlimactic. The other deleted scenes add little to proceedings.All in all, despite a gnawing sense of familiarity, this works well, thanks in large part to the strong cast.

(26 April 2012)

Fracture - a review

Fracture is a great psychological drama that stars Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling. Fracture is a film with qualities reminiscent of Alfred Hitchcock era that really left me guessing until the very end. Gosling's performance as a young smitten lawyer named Willie Beachum is something to applaud. I was not impressed when he was cast in a crime thriller called "Murder by Numbers" with Sandra Bullock a few years ago, but those thoughts are now erased from my memory. Beachum takes on the case of a successful engineer named Ted Crawford, who is accused of attempted murder. As the clues become less and less presentable, Beachum suddenly realizes that Crawford is playing some sort of game, and it is a game of chance and elaborate mind games that Beachum just might win. Fracture did not douse me with puzzles, in fact it really held back in that area and yet the continual drama that played out between the two main characters was more than enough to keep me not just guessing, but simply interested in the film's story as a whole.

sddavis63 (25 April 2012)

Well, I Guess It Is More Interesting Than Watching Paint Dry

I watched "Fracture" essentially because it starred Anthony Hopkins. Ithink Hopkins is a fine actor, and his character of Ted Crawfordsounded as though it would be a little bit reminiscent of his greatwork in "Silence Of The Lambs" as Hannibal Lector (Crawford being anice cold killer who plays mind games with the police and the DA.) Iwasn't expecting it to be as good as "Silence" but I thought it had alot of potential. Instead, it was very disappointing; one of the weakerperformances I've seen Hopkins give.Almost from the beginning, the story was mundane and predictable. (Eventhe opening musical score sounded like something less than original,and seemed to fit more with a made for TV story than a Hollywoodmovie.) The big mystery here was what happened to the gun Crawfordused. Unfortunately, anyone who remotely paid attention to this (true,that wasn't always easy) should be able to figure that one out at leastan hour before the movie ends with its "twist." Hopkins was at best OKas Crawford, and Ryan Gosling underwhelmed me with his portrayal ofprosecutor Willy Beachum, whose mind just isn't on the case since he'son the verge of leaving the DA's office for a job with a big,prestigious law firm. The most bizarre, meaningless and totallyunnecessary subplot here was the budding romance between Beachum andhis soon to be boss at the new firm Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike.) Iscratched my head several times over that one. She introduces herselfto him as his new boss, and within a couple of scenes, she's in bedwith him and inviting him to Thanksgiving dinner at her family's home?It gets a point up from me for the only "twist" that got me - which wasthe Douple Jeopardy twist at the end of the picture. Aside from that, Ididn't find this worth the time it took to watch it. 2/10

(21 April 2012)

NOW THAT'S A MOVIE!!!

If you like a movie written to challenge your intelligence instead of insult it, then this one is for you. Excellent writing with twists and turns and even a time or two of rooting for the bad guy. Why not? It is Anthony Hopkins and he is always brilliant.Great movie without the blood and guts. I promise you will appreciate the thought behind the twisting story line and it actually seems believable. Enjoy this one.

(20 April 2012)

Fracture

'Fracture' is your run of the mill crime thriller with a slight twist, in that we know the defendant actually did the crime from the outset. Hopkins plays the killer in a very dry way, there's no real menace and his accent that wavers from Irish to English in any one scene only undermines his performance further. Gosling is good as the prosecutor and plays his part well. You can pretty much guess the story from the word go and we had guessed the method and ending before the first half hour was up, but that didn't detract too much from the viewing experience. There was a whole sub-story about Gosling moving job to a private law firm that served to show his ambition but added little else to the overall story and was superfluous to the final outcome. As far as thrillers go this one is pretty inoffensive and easy going, it won't shock or leave you breathless but it does keep your interest for the duration and make for a couple of hours of entertaining viewing. Look past Hopkins dire accent and you should be fine!!!Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.

Phil Villarreal (19 April 2012)

Tight and lean, "Fracture" plays out with the vigor of a John Grisham novel and the suspense of a slasher flick. There's hardly a crack in this case.

tolis01 (18 April 2012)

could have a better finale

Fracture is the result of combining "Unfaithful" "A Few Good Men" and"Silence of the Lambs"So you got a high profile professional discovering his wife has anaffair, a twisting courtroom drama and Antony Hopkins gettinginterrogated!!!The film is good, don't get me wrong, it keeps you awake and thrilledBUT the ending is really not believable. Obviously the result ofprescreenings with 2 endings and the public there just may did not wantthe "bad guy" get away with it.Till the last 2 mins it would have got smth. near 8, now is 6+, sooverall a generous 7..

Scott Weinberg (17 April 2012)

There's nothing brilliant or revolutionary about Fracture. It's simply a well-made crime thriller, period.

Ed Uyeshima (16 April 2012)

Overly Tricky Plot Makes for Glib Entertainment Thanks Mainly to the Two Leads

There's a familiar bag of tricks at work in this 2007 courtroom-drivensuspense thriller, and it goes beyond Anthony Hopkins' deliberate echoof Hannibal Lecter in his malevolently amusing performance as TedCrawford, a wealthy and cuckolded industrial engineer. It involves theintricately plotted, marginally credible screenplay by Daniel Pyne andGlenn Gers, which reminds me of an old episode of Columbo. That's notnecessarily a bad thing since those Sunday night shows could beentertaining whodunits, but the derivative veneer of this moviepurposefully shortchanges logic for contrived twists. In fact, thecentral conceit of the film is that we know Crawford shot hisbeautiful, adulterous wife point blank. The film is really about how heplans to get away with it and how young Willie Beachum, an ambitiousand unflagging assistant D.A. bucks the odds and seeks the truth inthis case.Giving away any more is unnecessary, as director Gregory Hoblit is nostranger to the courtroom giving us the equally twist-infested PrimalFear eleven years ago. While the twists are not as pronounced here,they also don't feel as hard-earned here primarily because Crawford andBeachum feel more like archetypes than flesh-and-blood characters. Thisis where casting helps considerably since Hopkins can evince menacewith minimal effort - a blank stare, veiled smirk, the delusion ofbefuddlement in the courtroom - before you can say The Silence of theLambs. Impressive in last year's Half Nelson, Ryan Gosling playsBeachum in a likeably braggadocio manner with a heavy Southern accentand a variety of idiosyncratic tics. It is his character that goesthrough something of an arc from accepting a high-paying job at anexclusive private firm to a personal catharsis over his crusade forjustice.The two principal actors are well matched in their scenes together,even though one is a virtual replay of the one between Hopkins andJodie Foster in Lambs. The rest of the actors aren't given much leewayto provide any meaningful depth to their characters - David Strathairn,in a complete role reversal from this year's Bourne Ultimatum, asBeachum's moral conscience and current boss, D.A. Joe Labruto; BillyBurke particularly lackluster as the indiscreet detective caught in themiddle; Embeth Davidtz making her precious few moments count asCrawford's dissatisfied wife Jennifer; and former Bond girl RosamundPike as Nikki Gardner, Beachum's boss at his new firm. Her romanticrelationship with Beachum seems like a particularly absurd plotconvenience given the impropriety of a senior partner bedding anassociate.The twisty ending satisfies for the obvious reason but is tethered inlegal precedents that seem strangely arbitrary (pardon the pun). Aspart of its set of extras, the 2007 DVD contains two alternatives tothe final ending, both making the inevitable a more Baroque-levelexperience that borders on silly. The other deleted scenes are ofmarginal interest including two extended variations on the romanticcoupling between Gardner and Beachum. While a trailer is included,there is surprisingly no commentary track from either the director orthe two principals. For what it's worth, the film is a fun ride for theundemanding because a moment's thought afterward will inevitably spoilyour memory of it.