The Observer, April 20, 2007
Volume XXXIX, Issue 25
Fracture showcases phenomenal acting from both old and new
The public and critics alike have been talking about Fracture since Canadian actor Ryan Gosling was nominated for an Academy Award earlier this year for his performance in Half Nelson. Fracture is another opportunity for Gosling to establish himself as the new young force in Hollywood. New Line Cinema certainly made an intriguing and exciting move by pairing him up with legendary veteran Anthony Hopkins, who boasts a career spanning over 30 years with Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and Emmys to his name.
Director Greg Hoblit makes his living making suspense films and does a solid job establishing an appropriate ambience in Fracture, whether through delicate dialogue, sharpened sound, or creative camera angles. Hoblit takes his experience of detective work and courtroom drama from working on TV drama series NYPD Blue and hones it into a clean, tidy display with the help of cinematographer Kramer Morgenthau.
The sound is probably the most prominent and beautiful aspect of Fracture. A particular scene where Gosling argues with potential colleague Nikki Gardner (Rosamund Pike) is highlighted by sharp, ear-splitting clanks of forks on the teeth of Gardner's family at dinner. Look for a fascinating Rube Goldberg machine that dominates the first several minutes of the film. Most will be content just watching the machine go through its law-obeying motions.
Through all the great cinematography tricks, the film is at its best when Gosling is smirking and strutting his way through the film as arrogant, brash Southern lawyer Willy Beachum. After watching Gosling in Half Nelson, one cannot help but see a certain untouchable power behind him, a burning flame that makes other actors in Hollywood his age (twenty-six going on twenty) seem inadequate. Ryan Gosling is the iconic actor of our generation and nobody knows it. A performance like Fracture shows why he is the best, but it is going to take a humongous, blockbuster role for him to earn the respect he deserves.Fracture, sadly, will not provide that avenue.
At times int he film,even Anthony Hopkins seems to sit back and watch Gosling burn with a passion we haven't seen since the late, great Marlon Brando. Gosling's fire as Beachum provides a great setup against the smooth, winking persona of Ted Crawford (Hopkins). The electricity of Beachum being broken down by the carefully placed words and actions of Crawford (and vice-versa) provide the most powerful scenes in the film. Gosling and Hopkins sizzle on screen together, a grizzled veteran matching wits with a hot young star. The metaphor extends beyond the plot of the film.
The film does suffer from an awkward change of pace, as the plot becomes somewhat forced with the cliché change-of-heart twist, as arrogant Beachum decides to "do the right thing" upon getting his butt handed to him by Crawford. Hoblit certainly takes no risks in the plot development, as the intriguing premise of how Crawford can get away with his murder takes a backseat to the skill of actors involved.
Scene-stealer alert? Look for Academy-Award nominated David Strathairn gain notice as District Attorney Joe Lobruto - damn tough, but somewhat compassionate as a man trying to keep his star player in Beachum. All other points aside, the film should leave you with the notion that Gosling is one of the best young actors in Hollywood today and Hopkins is one of the best of all time. Fracture comes out today in theatres nationwide, and it should make quite a splash for next year's awards season.
