Fracture

FLICK What should be an open-and-shut case murder case becomes a mystery as Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling spar skillfully in this thriller that sets up their duel from the start. Hopkins' character Ted Crawford shoots his adulterous wife in the head and confesses to it from the outset. But when the cops can't find the murder weapon, we know he has set a plan in motion. Hopkins’ blank expressions come dangerously close to those he uses as Hannibal Lector, but they're appropriate without having a chewing-the-scenery affect. Gosling easily holds up his end of the challenge as Willy Beachum, the prosecutor who takes on the case, thinking it will be an easy win but ends up causing problems for him in and out of the courtroom. His charismatic performance bonds us to Willy and his personal struggles, which move from slight arrogance and opportunism to assured responsibility. During the opening credits, we see a miniature roller coaster-like contraption that Ted, a structural engineer, has built, with a marble rolling smoothly down and around a narrow track which has all of the twists and turns of the cat and mouse game the two will play. When the marble eventually falls off the track, we know Ted too will take a fall. Any simplicity in the story is heightened by the sometimes moody atmosphere and attention to detail by director Gregory Hoblit. But it’s most fun to see if it will be Hopkins or Gosling who will crack. My Score: 8 out of 10.