Fracture

Is there anyone creepier than Anthony Hopkins? Well, Christopher Walken, maybe...but with Walken you can just look at him and know that boy ain't right. Hopkins, on the other hand, has that unique ability to appear normal and unassuming at first, and then slowly reveal a creepy side that makes your skin crawl.

Perhaps it the inevitable association with Hannibal Lecter from Silence of the Lambs that give Hopkins this quality: Few people have ever owned a role like he has in that movie. Still, he projects better than anyone, that placid exterior that quietly masks that vortex of evil that swirls below (and probably a few dead bodies to boot.)

Ryan Gosling was equally impressive as the young, brash attorney soon to cash in on his legal success. I had heard of him before, but thought he was some dude on Dawson's Creek or some other WB, or UPN, or CM or whatever it is network. As a result, I was really surprised by his deep, nuanced, and spot-on performance. He reminds me of Ed Norton (who incidentally also starred in another court drama by director Hoblit, Primal Fear). Hopkins and Gosling together on the screen were really a joy to watch--their subtle psychological sparring and posturing was just good, damn cinema.

Director Gregory Hoblit may be one of the most under-rated directors around. He weaves a tight, gripping, and suspenseful story that has you on your seat the entire time. Though the story is about a district attorney prosecuting an accused murderer (or attempted murderer), very little of the movie actually takes place in the court room. He devotes most of the time building a rich cast of characters that make the film more of a psychological character study than a courtroom drama.

He doesn't go for the cliched characters, but rather complex, layered individuals that make for an engaging and rewarding cinematic experience. Beautiful camera work, sharp editing, and honest, non-gimmicky story-telling make this one of my top films of the year.


Fracture (2007)
Starring: Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling
Directed by: Gregory Hoblit

(6 out of 7 skinks)