Fracture

This is my kind of film. Suspense throughout, mystery till the very end... I could write a long review about the film but I realise it wouldn't be that different to what others have already said about it, so my only criticism goes to Anthony Hopkins. I enjoy watching Anthony Hopkins. I really do. He is a brilliant actor and deserves all the credit he gets. However, his acting seems rather repetitive. He is always assigned to play the role of a man who is highly intelligent, mysterious, always a man of wisdom. Yes, this makes him an interesting character to watch, but we have seen it so many times. The funny thing though this never gets boring. So, I guess, hats off to him for his ability to make us watch the same character over and over again. Would I watch this film again? Well, I guess so, only if it was on the telly and there is nothing else to watch it. Would I make my friends watch it? Possibly.

This has all the ingredients of a classic crime drama - a great cast, some slick writing and a healthy dose of suspense. Sir Anthony Hopkins as the meticulously fiendish aeronautics engineer/millionaire ("Crawford") who discovers his wife is up to some mischief and so takes matters into his own hands (or does he?). Ryan Gosling ("Willy Beachum") is the sloppy and complacent prosecution attorney with his eyes on a big, private sector, promotion away from the district attorney's office so is initially easy prey in this sophisticated game of manipulation/counter manipulation. When he begins to cotton on that he's being played, then the rest of the plot makes for a really enthralling, tensely written and deviously plausible story. We are never in doubt as to who did what - but can they get away with it? That's the million dollar question in this well crafted battle of wits. Well worth watching.