Fracture on DVD (2007)

superb

williamsgwynfa [Highly rated reviewer] , 19/04/2007

this film is superb. When Ted Crawford played by Anthony Hopkins discovers that his beautiful younger wife, Jennifer played by Embeth Davidtz, is having an affair, he plans her murder…the perfect murder.

Amongst the police officers arriving at the crime scene, is hostage negotiator Detective Rob Nunally played by Billy Burke, the only officer permitted entry into the house, as Ted knows full well that Rob is the man, his wife has been cavorting with

Surprisingly, Crawford readily admits to shooting his wife, but Nunally is too stunned to pay close attention, when he recognizes his lover, whose true identity he never knew, lying on the floor in a pool of blood.

Although Jennifer was shot at point blank range, Nunally soon realizes that she is not dead.

Crawford is immediately arrested and arraigned after confessing to Jennifer's murder - but now is charged with attempted murder.

this becomes a seemingly slam-dunk case, for hot shot assistant district attorney, Willy Beachum played by Ryan Gosling, who has one foot out of the door of the District Attorney’s office, on his way to a lucrative job in high-stakes corporate law. his conviction record is seamless.

With Willy distracted by his overblown confidence and his new boss Nikki played by Rosamund Pike, Ted who is representing himself in court, begins to manipulate the system, so that Willy's slam-dunk case quickly turns into an air ball.

during one interrogation, Ted tells Willy a story. The story is about sorting eggs on a farm when he was a boy, and about putting aside 300 eggs that all had minute cracks or imperfections. The moral is that everything has a weakness if you look closely enough. Hopkins is using the story to warn Gosling, that his near perfect conviction record, is about to be tested like never before.

The battle of wills between the two leads is central to the movie, and their combat is electrifying. one major problem for Willy is - where is the gun, used to shoot Jennifer?

When Willy can not find any evidence proving Crawford is guilty, everything turns into an all-out psychological fight for proof.

Fracture is a superior psychological thriller that keeps you guessing, right until the end.

well worth watching.

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yet another two hours of life wasted!!!

A customer from scotland , 27/08/2007

what a truly awful film!Quite simply put 'it flatters to deceive'. I am sure for many this film will be both witty and intriguing,the acting superb and the casting perfect,but something is seriously missing with this entire picture.Perhaps it's because you get the feeling that the script was actually conceived with sir anthony in mind for the lead role,or that he's been down this road one time to many and that it's just not working anymore,or maybe it's the fact that even he couldn't seem to make anything of his character?hence the weird irish/welsh borderline scots tongue?some kind of futile attempt to bring passion to the proceedings, who knows?As for the script,it borders on the absurd,with the plot so transparent that anyone with half a brain will have it worked out within the first half hour and then have a further hour with which to watch it drag out so predictably they'll think their nostrodamus!!!all in all very poor and this coupled with an unlikable ,almost pathetic excuse for a supporting cast simply compounded the sheer apathy i felt towards this film.In all honesty you'll get more out of an afternoon spent with quincy re-runs,if nothing else at least he makes you laugh!

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Pretty good, could have been excellent...

PaulaWestwood from Ashton-Under-Lyne [Highly rated reviewer] , 07/05/2007

This gets off to a cracking pace, it really is both entertaining, clever and also humerous, up to half way in... Then it changes somehow, it seems to run out of its first sharp 'clever' steam, and that does dull its edge a bit. The first half has you thinking the clever so and so, then it sort of gets watered down in some way and the ending that should have been quite spectacular sort of trails off. It is still a really good movie nevertheless, well worth its 4 star rating, but it just missed out a little. I would recommend it.

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Predictable court room drama

A customer from Scotland , 23/08/2007

This was a slow film and was just like watching another Hannibal Lecter saga.

Antony Hopkins played Ted Crawford his character was exactly like Hannibal's.

The supporting actor Ryan Gosling who played Willy Beachum the prosecutor was not a strong actor and he let down the plot.

The storyline is predictable and i found the ending had no surprises it was just like watching an episode of Ironside.

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SLOW!

Karen from Leicester, England [Highly rated reviewer] , 06/12/2007

It was slow and trying to be clever but didn't quite manage it I'm afraid!

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Expected better

Georgevader from Chepstow [Highly rated reviewer] , 21/08/2007

(Sir) Anthony Hopkins stars as Ted Crawford a successful and very wealthy engineer who shoots his wife after discovering she is having an affair.Lawyer Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) has to prove what seems and open and shut case, that he did it, this starts to prove more and more difficult as Ted weaves his way through legal loopholes.

I have to admit I was quite looking forward to this film, the first hour it build up quite well, as the prosecution case slowly disintegrates, the trouble is the final half hour or so seems so laboured, I was expecting a real sting in the tail. My biggest problem has to be Anthony Hopkins, I really can't take the guy seriously since 'Silence Of The Hams', sorry 'Lambs', it's all Hannibal Lekter cheese with an accent that flips from English to Welsh, and then bizarrely Irish!

Not a bad film by any standard, just a very ordinary one I'm afraid.

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