FRACTURE

US, 2007, 113 minutes, Colour.
Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke, Cliff Curtis, Fiona Shaw, Bob Gunton, Xander Berkeley.
Directed by Gregory Hoblit.

Fracture is a satisfying crime thriller with a courtroom background.

The director is Gregory Hoblit who began his career in television (especially with Hill Street Blues) and telemovies (Roe vs Wade). He moved to cinema features with a striking courtroom thriller and murder mystery, Primal Fear with Richard Gere and Edward Naughton. He has not made so many films but most of them are different and exciting (Fallen, Frequency) though his war film, Hart’s War was not so effective.

This time he has made not a whodunit, nor a howdunit (though that is important), not a whydunit. We know this immediately. This is more of a how-can-you-prove-it?

The murder occurs early in the film. Anthony Hopkins plays Ted Crawford, an engineering expert who tests metals and surfaces for pressures and breaking points and enjoys himself with elaborate Rube Goldberg constructions (which the audience finds fascinating as well). He is brusque, arrogant, clever and drives his fast car very fast. So, it is not such a surprise when his wife (Embeth Davidtz) comes home after a meeting with her lover (Billy Burke) and, after some ironic wordplay, he shoots her. When the police arrive, he confesses. Where to go from here?

This is when Fracture becomes really interesting because Crawford wants to defend himself since he has set up the case so that the prosecution will have no admissible evidence. Enter ambitious, arrogant young prosecutor from the DAs office (Ryan Gosling) who is about to go upmarket in the world of corporate lawyers. He is asked to take on this open and shut case. No problem. He does. And then the problems start, not only for the case itself but for his own career – and his own integrity. As the director remarked, ‘he grows a soul’. In the meantime, Crawford is testing his surfaces and breaking points.

Anthony Hopkins obviously relishes this role, an evil man who is smart, articulate, sardonic, who can taunt the young lawyer with a wink or a raised eyebrow. Yes, we all think of Hannibal Lecter – but this is a quieter, more calmly calculating destroyer. Ryan Gosling (The Believer, The Notebook, Half Nelson) looks young, acts brash, prides himself on being a winner and has visions of corporate high-flying. Gosling is quite convincing as the careless and presumptuous lawyer who gets his comeuppance but whose pride and conscience are hurt and who makes some decisions which show he might have some integrity.

The screenplay is well-written with a lot of wit and plenty of edge, especially in the courtroom scenes. There is a strong cast of character actors as well. David Strathairn is the head of the department for prosecutions. Rosamund Pike is the calculating and self-serving representative of the corporate lawyers. Cliff Curtis is an earnest detective and Billy Burke is the lover and arresting officer who is also Crawford’s target.

How can the young lawyer possibly take Crawford down within the legal system? The final twist is interesting and effective.

1.An entertaining crime thriller? The perfect crime? Detection? Legal action?

2.The film not as a whodunit, whydunnit or even howdunnit – but how to prove it?

3.Los Angeles as a character, as an environment, the night scenes of the buildings, the helicopter scenes of the panorama of the city, the mountains and roads, homes, courtrooms? The musical score?

4.The title, the credits breaking, the perfect plan and its fracture?

5.The credits, the Rube Goldberg machine, intriguing, Ted Crawford and his work, his testing stress, breakages, in aircraft? Giving the information? Abrupt personality, driving fast in his car? An introduction to him – and puzzle?

6.The intercutting of the affair between Nunally and Jennifer? Mr and Mrs Smith, the hotel, swimming, lovemaking? The importance of the affair to each of them? Ted Crawford and his going to the hotel, watching them in the pool, going to the room, the CCTV footage and its later use, the close-up of his hat? The reasons – and the revelation later? The key to how he did it? Going home?

7.Jennifer, going home, talking with her husband, surprised at his presence, his declaration of love, her comments about his being clever? His shooting her? Getting rid of the gun? The other shots, the bullets? His clothes in the fire? The gardener hearing? The police arriving, the hostage group? Rob Nunaly at the door, the irony? Persuading him to put the gun down? Recognising Jennifer, his anger, physical attack on Ted? Taking the confession? The blasé confession? Its later being taken down officially with Nunaly present? And this making it invalid? The detective and his presence?

8.Willy and his arriving at the office, his self-confidence, the invitation to the new job, his work with the DA, the DA's reaction? The deadline for the case, with the tuxedo, going to court, his easy manner? Ted and his taunting him, about his tie, in the interchange? The judge and his decision? Wanting an early trial? Willy accepting this? With his bravado, going to the party, meeting Nikki, her approach, flirtation, his boss? Explanation about the job? His explaining the trick that he used to get in for an interview? The concert? His appearance at the trial, easy, thinking there was no trial, the judge and her presiding, Crawford and his revelation about the affair, Nunaly and his attacking Ted? Willy being taken off the case, the discussion in chambers, the judge giving time till the next Monday, the need to produce more evidence? The DA's reaction? His explaining to Nikki? His time with her, the affair? His decision to go back, Ted’s taunts? The DA allowing him? Nikki and her being upset?

9.Ted, his character, age, experience, sinister, psychopath, clever, seeing himself as superior to others, sketching during the trial, tearing the pages, his gesticulations and his eyebrow-raising? The reaction of the judge? His taunting of Rob, the revelation, the fight? In the judge’s chambers? No evidence against him? His complacency, the motion to acquit, defeating Willy? Succeeding? Going out, Nunaly and his killing himself? His reaction? Going to the hospital, finding Willy, getting a court order to restrain Willy from being near him, getting the permission to pull the plug on Jennifer, Willy and his attempt to stop this, too late? The end, the confrontation in the house, the fact that Ted would send gifts to Willy, the gun? The discussion, being clever, Willy and the twist, the evidence, the new trial, his arrest?

10.The district attorney, his job, pride in his work, talking with Willy, his disdain of his choices? Letting him go? Putting him on the case, taking him off, the damage control? Allowing him back on, his coming at the end, offering him a new job? The staff, Mona and her having the mobile phone for the phone call? Willy not using this device?

11.Nikki, her belonging to the firm, corporate sense, the money, the boss, her team, her initiating the affair with Willy? The night together, the aftermath? The Thanksgiving Dinner, the discussions, her reaction to his going back on the case? The phone calls, her not willing to help with the court order to save Jennifer? Her father, his words of encouragement at the dinner, his signing the court order?

12.Detective Flores, searching the house for the gun, the work, relationship with Willy, helping him at the end – and the mobile phones?

13.Nunaly, the affair, in the court, his anger, attacks on Ted? His killing himself? The irony of what Ted had done with the gun, killing himself with it?

14.Willy and his arrogance, his hopes, the new company, a winner, not wanting to be a loser, not having any evidence, being tricked by Ted, by Rob? His change of heart, learning to have some soul? The judge, the discussions, with the district attorney, his vigils at the hospital, discussions with the nurse about coma? The Thanksgiving Dinner, the relationship with the judge? His desperation, the judge signing the court order? His reading, the documents with Flores? The double jeopardy issue, the visit to Ted, Ted and his going overseas, the solution about the gun, the substitute, the CCTV?

15.A satisfactory ending, justice being seen to be done? Issues of law, justice?