$fractured movie 2007$

$fractured movie 2007$

At first glance, Fracture appears to be a run-of-the-mill thriller but, sitting through it, the viewer will become aware that it's doing some interesting things. At one point, a character faces a moral dilemma of significant proportions, and the film does not shy from depicting the consequences of the road taken. There are echoes of classic themes in Fracture: ego, pride, arrogance, and redemption. By not choosing to go in that direction, Fracture at least keeps its integrity intact. We see that too often and unless it's brilliantly integrated into the fabric of the story, it can destroy the project. The ending is imperfect and anti-climactic, but considering how well most of the story unfolds, perhaps it's better than attempting the sensationalistic approach of the nonsensical. This time, Hoblit goes for something cold and sinister rather than half-baked and melodramatic. Former Bond girl Rosamund Pike is the temptress luring Willy to the dark side, while David Strathairn tries to keep him where he's 'meant to be.'ĭirector Gregory Hoblit is probably best known for directing Primal Fear, as overwrought a crime drama as you're likely to find. Embeth Davidtz plays most of her scenes unconscious in a hospital bed. Hopkins arrests the camera's attention in a way Gosling doesn't.

$fractured movie 2007$

Ryan Gosling, fresh off limitless praise for Half Nelson, does an effective job delineating Willy's character arc, but he doesn't fare well in the one-on-one face-offs against Hopkins. With a lesser performer, Fracture might be wallowing in B-movie territory. There's no doubt that Hopkins is one of the main reasons the film works. Nevertheless, the actor pulls a little of that psychotic genius out of his bags of tricks and makes this character a formidable presence. And, at least to start with, there's not much to appreciate about the cocky Willy, who's so sure of himself that the consideration Crawford may be playing him never enters his thoughts until the conclusion is inescapable.Īnthony Hopkins has played Hannibal Lecter to perfection and Crawford isn't in the Cannibal's league. His method of revenge is extreme but effective. He has, after all, been betrayed by his wife. There's also room to admire Crawford, if not sympathize with him. There aren't any big twists but it's rewarding to puzzle out the character's scheme before it is explicitly revealed. From the beginning, we are aware of Crawford's intelligence and malevolence and that's what keeps us interested. The way in which Crawford's plan is revealed - bit by bit, clue by clue - keeps the audience guessing even before Willy realizes something is wrong. When Ted springs his trap, Willy is unprepared and the case ends up in shambles. He's on his way to a lucrative job in the commercial sector and doesn't heed the warning of his boss, Joe Lobuto (David Strathairn), not to take the case lightly. After all, there's a confession and a weapon. Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), who has a 97% conviction rate. In order to secure his victory, he must face-off against hot shot assistant D.A. Then he calmly puts into action a convoluted plot that will allow him to walk away from trial a free man while tormenting his comatose wife's lover, police officer Rob Nunally (Billy Burke).

$fractured movie 2007$

So, moments after affirming his affection for her, he shoots her in the face. Millionaire Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) loves his wife, Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), but he cannot condone her sleeping with another man. The ending is weak, and requires the employment of the most overused device in the genre, but the movie as a whole survives this. The movie can be seen as a high stakes chess match, with each of the main characters trying to outmaneuver the other. Although Fracture is set up as a crime movie/courtroom drama, it's actually a contest of wills between two characters who share a primary trait: one of Shakespeare's favorite tragic flaws - hubris. This is a good thing, since those kinds of gimmicky plot elements more often than not derail movies. Fracture is refreshingly different from the average mystery thriller in that it does not bombard the audience with 'shocking' twists and 'surprise' turns.

$fractured movie 2007$

Fractured movie 2007