Fracture (2007)

Director:

Gregory Hoblit

Writers (WGA):

Daniel Pyne (screenplay) and
Glenn Gers (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

20 April 2007 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

If you look close enough, you'll find everyone has a weak spot.

Plot:

An attorney intent on climbing the career ladder toward success, finds an unlikely opponent in a manipulative criminal he's trying to prosecute.

Plot Keywords:

Revenge | Neo Noir | Employer Employee Sex | Suspense | Los Angeles California

Awards:

2 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Sept. 3

8:00 PM

HBO

Cast

Anthony Hopkins	...	Ted Crawford
Ryan Gosling	...	Willy Beachum
David Strathairn	...	DA Joe Lobruto
Rosamund Pike	...	Nikki Gardner
Embeth Davidtz	...	Jennifer Crawford
Billy Burke	...	Lt. Robert 'Rob' Nunally
Cliff Curtis	...	Detective Flores
Fiona Shaw	...	Judge Robinson
Bob Gunton	...	Judge Gardner
Josh Stamberg	...	Norman Foster
Xander Berkeley	...	Judge Moran
Zoe Kazan	...	Mona
Judith Scott	...	Resident
Gary Cervantes	...	Ciro (as Carlos Cervantes)
Petrea Burchard	...	Dr. Marion Kang

Also Known As:

Perfekte Verbrechen, Das (Germany)

MPAA:

Rated R for language and some violent content.

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA | Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

USA:R (certificate #43317) | Singapore:NC-16 (DVD rating) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Italy:T | Germany:12 | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | Finland:K-13 | Netherlands:12 | Sweden:11 | Argentina:16 | Norway:11 | Malaysia:U | Portugal:M/12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) | New Zealand:M | Canada:14A (Alberta/Manitoba/Ontario) | Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) | Brazil:14 | Hong Kong:IIA | Denmark:15 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Dijon Street, Warner Brothers Burbank Studios - 4000 Warner Boulevard, Burbank, California, USA

Company:

New Line Cinema

Trivia:

When Anthony Hopkins character is being arraigned, a directory of judges is seen over his shoulder with the names Eads and Vacarro. Those are the last names of the production designer and set designer, respectively.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Willy is called and told to appear at the arraignment at 3:00, which is "in 15 minutes," his watch clearly shows the time to be 12:40.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Crawford's Secretary: The NTSB guys are here about that bulkhead problem.
Ted Crawford: OK, thanks.

Movie Connections:

References Dr. No (1962)

Soundtrack:

Ombra Fedel Anch'io

style with the substance to match

Fracture is the story of Ted Crawford (Hopkins), a rich engineer who shoots his wife after discovering she is having an affair. When the police arrive, he confesses and hands in his weapon, and the case is passed on to hotshot DDA Willy Beachum (Gosling), who sees this, his final public service trial before he moves onwards and upwards, to be a slam-dunk case; but alas, thanks to Crawford's mind games, things are not what they seem and the case undergoes a series of twists and turns as Crawford and Beachum engage in a tense battle of wits.

The most obviously noticeable thing about Fracture is the how well-polished it all is. The whole thing looks so...expensive. The cars are expensive. The phones are expensive...even the cutlery during the Thanksgiving dinner scene looks expensive. Beachum seems to wear a new suit in every scene, and even the outdoor location shots look glossy; South California looks like it has been lacquered up especially for the camera lens.

It's all very smooth, well edited, cleverly shot, and well-paced, but without these two actors, this movie would have been nothing more than a glossy second-rate courtroom "thriller". Hopkins and Gosling take it to the next level with great lead performances. Hopkins clearly enjoys playing this sort of manipulative role, controlling events, making sly remarks, and winking in that very obviously shifty way, and he gets to drive flashy cars and live in a big house while he does it, which I imagine only increases the amount of fun he has. Similarly, the cockiness arrogance of DDA Beachum allows Gosling to strut around, make wisecracks, and generally be a smug git. While the Hopkins-Gosling clashes make the movie, they are ably supported by David Straitharn, Rosamund Pike, and Billy Burke, who all inject a bit more life and background into the film.

While the ride is comfortable for the most part, Fracture slips a gear towards the end; the shift from murder mystery to moral crusade feels a little bumpy, but nonetheless, strong performances and great artistic direction make Fracture a stylish, clever and enjoyable thriller that's definitely worth a look.