FRACTURE

by Amanda Perez

MPAA Rating: R for language and some violent content.
Suggested Ages: 16+
Released in Theaters: April 20, 2007
Reel Rating: 3 out of 4 Reels

With the Primal Fear/L.A. Law-esque overtones provided by director Gregory Hoblit, Fracture fits perfectly with the "up-and-coming lawyer with something to prove whose case becomes more then he expected" genre. It’s not a category you'd find in your Netflix account, but you get the point.

Fracture lays out the plan of Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), masterfully designed to literally get away with the murder of his adulterous wife Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz). You might recognize her as Mark Darcy’s girlfriend and token b%#ch of Bridget Jones's Diary and television sister of Grey’s Anatomy’s Dr. McDreamy.

Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), is the hot-shot assistant district attorney who's recently been offered the job of a lifetime at one of L.A.'s most prestigious law firms. When he's assigned to Crawford’s seemingly routine case, it forces him to stick around at his present job longer than expected, playing cat-and-mouse with Hopkins in an unforeseen trial that'll end up making or breaking his career.

Kudos to Gosling, who could have easily been mistaken for a teenager playing dress-up, but undoubtedly pulls off his character. To look at Gosling in this film is to underestimate his talent. With his small build and childlike face, minus the facial hair of The Notebook, it would be easy not to take him seriously as a lawyer. Gosling’s interpretation of his character more then makes up for this flaw. After two scenes, you'll be lost in his persona.

The storyline carries on pretty well except for the awkward relationship between Beachum and his new boss, Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike). There's a moment of attraction between the two lawyers, but before the audience can catch up, the couple is having Thanksgiving dinner with her family. Fracture could have done without Pike’s character. A few affair flashbacks could have better served the movie’s lack of sex appeal.

THE WRAP-UP: While definitely a drama, Fracture does have some decent moments of well-placed humor, which many films in this genre try so hard to achieve, but uncomfortably fail. Fracture is a bit predictable and is certainly no Primal Fear, but Hopkins’ puppet mastery to Gosling’s marionette is reason enough to see this film.

SCORE: 3 out of 4 Reels

Amanda Perez is a freelance journalist from Orange County, California. Email her at aperez949@hotmail.com.

JANE'S REEL RATING SYSTEM:

One Reel – Pathetic. Even the Force can't save it.
Two Reels – Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.
Three Reels – Thought-provoking. Something to talk about.
Four Reels – Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Read my other reviews HERE.