"Fracture" trods upon very familiar ground for mystery lovers; a genius (Anthony Hopkins) plans and executes the 'Perfect Crime', and it's up to a young 'blue collar but upwardly mobile' D.A. (Ryan Gosling), to find the flaw, and bring him to justice. Despite a somewhat flat finale (the flaw should be obvious, if you are observant), the performances are so good that the film is a genuinely entertaining noir.



Hopkins' on-screen persona is so well established, at this point in his career, that his back-story as a brilliant, charming psychopath requires little screen time. A scene showing his authority at work, another of him spying on his much younger wife (Embeth Davidtz) enjoying an indiscretion at a motel, and his confrontation with the cheating spouse, ending with a bullet in her head, just seems 'natural'. Of course, this is just the framework to a scheme that will also destroy her lover, and humiliate the police and judicial system, while he smiles and taunts Gosling. Nobody 'taunts' better than Hopkins, and his genteel superiority and cockiness is great fun to watch!



Gosling's role is far more complex, and isn't helped by an abrupt reversal of his morality that is poorly written, but he does a remarkable job. A country boy, complete with a southern twang, he disguises a self-centered ruthlessness with an off-handed charm. With a 97% conviction rate (achieved by passing 'no-win' cases off to others), he coldly breaks an agreement with a defense counsel to win a big case, resulting in a job offer from the prestigious firm he'd just defeated. He is on the fast track, a fact he plays to the hilt, as he serves his notice to the D.A.'s office, is introduced into the world of 'big fees', and seduces his mentor (Rosamund Pike, sporting a perfect American accent). Reluctantly, he agrees to one last assignment, the arraignment of Hopkins...which will knock his well-laid plans completely off-kilter, as his involvement is a key element in Hopkin's scheme.



While there are obvious plot-holes (how could Hopkins be certain Gosling would be the DA assigned to the case?), the cat-and-mouse duel between the adversaries is a joy, with two actors at the top of their game.



"Fracture" isn't a great film, but it is involving, and Hopkins and Gosling's performances give it an extra 'star' in my rating!