Fracture

Name: Fracture
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime
Released: April 20, 2007
Duration: 113 min
Rating: 68
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, David Strathairn, Ryan Gosling

2007

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 35 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 363 Ratings

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8.4

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8.4	User Score Universal acclaim based on 363 Ratings

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Fracture

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Movie Details & Credits

New Line Cinema | Release Date: April 20, 2007 | R

Starring: Anthony Hopkins, David Strathairn, Ryan Gosling

Summary: When a meticulous structural engineer (Anthony Hopkins) is found innocent of the attempted murder of his wife (Embeth Davidtz), the young district attorney (Ryan Gosling) who is prosecuting him becomes a crusader for justice. Fracture is packed with twists and turns that weave in and out of the courtroom as the pair try to outwit eachWhen a meticulous structural engineer (Anthony Hopkins) is found innocent of the attempted murder of his wife (Embeth Davidtz), the young district attorney (Ryan Gosling) who is prosecuting him becomes a crusader for justice. Fracture is packed with twists and turns that weave in and out of the courtroom as the pair try to outwit each other. [New Line Cinema]… Expand

Director: Gregory Hoblit

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 113 min

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Critic Reviews

Peter Rainer

The plot's many complications pretty much all add up, which is a rarity these days for a murder mystery. It's possible that audiences don't even care anymore if a film makes sense as long it's entertaining. Read full review

Scott Foundas

Gosling is the kind of actor who makes other actors look lazy. He is Brando at the time of "Streetcar," or Nicholson in "Five Easy Pieces," and altogether one of the more remarkable happenings at the movies today. Read full review

Michael Phillips

Effective dialogue doesn't necessarily mean witty dialogue, but wit certainly helps, and you tend not to get much of it in a low-key legal thriller. Fracture is an exception. Read full review

Kevin Crust

It boils down to experience's arrogance, intellect and wealth versus youth's cockiness, resilience and hard work, and the actors appear to have a good time playing the game. Read full review

David Edelstein

What makes Fracture hum is the way Hopkins bares his teeth, twitches his nostrils, and trains his shiny pinprick Lecter eyes on his co-star. Read full review

Lou Lumenick

This is a slickly entertaining package, beautifully photographed on well-chosen locations with an unerring sense of pace by Gregory Hoblit. Read full review

Pete Vonder Haar

Fracture may be smarter than the majority of movies out there, but it's not half as clever as it thinks it is. Read full review

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User Reviews

folk_tylore

Sep 30, 2010

Anthony and Ryan are both perfect for there roles, and work very well together. I was really surprised at how great this movie was. The first scene of the movie shows Anthony murdering his wife but the real drive of the movie is how Ryan is going to implicate Anthony for the crime, intenseAnthony and Ryan are both perfect for there roles, and work very well together. I was really surprised at how great this movie was. The first scene of the movie shows Anthony murdering his wife but the real drive of the movie is how Ryan is going to implicate Anthony for the crime, intense and humorous at times and never dull.… Expand

8 of 11 users found this helpful83

Lanyard980

Aug 9, 2021

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2 of 2 users found this helpful20

Stagger74

Jul 11, 2021

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3 of 3 users found this helpful30

MarkB.

May 2, 2007

Many critics and moviegoers have noted the many apparent similarities in characterization and performance between Anthony Hopkins's Ted Crawford, who plots the perfect crime against his unfaithful wife, and Hannibal Lecter. One fundamental difference stands out, however: while nobody Many critics and moviegoers have noted the many apparent similarities in characterization and performance between Anthony Hopkins's Ted Crawford, who plots the perfect crime against his unfaithful wife, and Hannibal Lecter. One fundamental difference stands out, however: while nobody would mistake Hannibal "The Cannibal" for anything other than evil incarnate, his attraction to FBI agent Clarice Starling (at least in the original Silence of the Lambs) provided a humanizing factor, however brief...but Crawford is nothing more than a thoroughly despicable sociopath with no redeeming qualities beyond a veneer of surface charm which he operates to suit his purposes. The latter can be the only reason why a seemingly intelligent woman like Jennifer (Junebug's Embeth Davidtz) got involved with him in the first place; given that Hopkins looks healthy and fit enough here to outlive us all, she certainly couldn't have been "pulling an Anna Nicole"! District Attorney Willy Beachum is easily fooled; he's a rising legal star who through a combination of youthful arrogance and the distraction of a prestigious legal position he's about to step into, unwisely assumes that Crawford's on-the-spot confession after shooting Jennifer constitutes an open and shut case. Yeah, and back in 1975, Brody, Quint and Hooper were just going on a little weekend fishing trip. Competing for your box office dollars with such derivative slashfests as Vacancy and Disturbia, and with Spidey, Shrek and Sparrow just around the corner, Fracture emerges as an intelligent, satisfyingly twist-filled pleasure: the movie equivalent of a guilt-free beach read. One characteristic that Hopkins's work DOES share with Silence is that in both he's such a powerful presence that you think he's onscreen for much more of both films' running time than he actually is. The focal character in Fracture is really Willy, who's the one character whose future (not just what career track he will or won't eventually take but what kind of human being he'll choose to become) is really at stake. Ryan Gosling proves in this role that his surprise Oscar nomination last year as a likable but substance-abusing teacher in the sleeper Half Nelson wasn't just a space-filler; he continually makes offbeat, unpredictable character choices that are a real joy to watch--notice precisely just how he gets out of his lover's bed! Davidtz is such an achingly lovely screen presence that director Gregory Hoblit's use of innumerable close-ups of her (even after she's in a coma) indicates his outrage that industrialist Crawford, by not only attempting to murder her but by shooting her in the face, is committing the ultimate act of natural destruction by defacing such an example of pure beauty, even if Jennifer were doing the horizontal polka with the entire local police force! Ultimately, Fracture's central flaw, especially evidenced in the far-too-restrained absolute final scene before the closing credits roll, is that Hoblit (Primal Fear) isn't quite outraged ENOUGH; in endeavoring to make a courtroom movie in which the prosecutor is the hero that will still appeal to liberals and ACLU supporters in the audience, he's just a little too polite, genteel and distanced. I recently rewatched an old DVD box set consisting of four 1980s Charles Bronson action movies, all directed by J. Lee Thompson (The Guns of Navarone) in the final stages of his long career for those notorious schlockmeisters Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus. The flicks are raw, lurid and occasionally offensive, but at their best (especially Ten to Midnight and Kinjite: Forbidden Subjects, arguably the cream of the box) they really tap into the anger that their audiences undoubtedly feel about murderers and lowlifes who successfully manipulate the American legal system in order not only to get away scot-free with their crimes but to keep committing more of them. As enjoyable as Fracture is, Hoblit clearly needs to be a little less classy and cerebral and a little more down-and-dirty and emotional in his storytelling; silly as this may sound, the man needs to inject a small but vital dose of Golan, Globus and J. Lee Thompson into his soul!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Spangle

May 21, 2014

I am a sucker for a good courtroom drama and this is certainly one. It is certainly formulaic in parts, but is still very well done as a whole. Both Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, the latter of which I am not typically a huge fan of, did fantastic and really made for really interestingI am a sucker for a good courtroom drama and this is certainly one. It is certainly formulaic in parts, but is still very well done as a whole. Both Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, the latter of which I am not typically a huge fan of, did fantastic and really made for really interesting leads. On top of it, the plot was absolutely gripping and really had you guessing as to how it would end (however it does become clear towards the end). However, the film is never really great. At many turns, it is quite good, but really, it is just a solid entry in both Hopkins and Gosling's filmographies. The film certainly is not Oscar worthy, but it is still very entertaining largely thanks to its two leads who really are at the root of why this film is successful. Without them, it really would have fallen flat, even with the compelling storyline.… Expand

0 of 4 users found this helpful04

moviegrabbag

Jun 12, 2011

This was a very well done movie. The acting was incredibly solid and the story was very well written. The only issue that I had with this movie was that it became a little slow in some spots. This is definitely a movie that court room thriller fans need to check out as well as fans ofThis was a very well done movie. The acting was incredibly solid and the story was very well written. The only issue that I had with this movie was that it became a little slow in some spots. This is definitely a movie that court room thriller fans need to check out as well as fans of Anthony Hopkins because he was amazing in this movie.… Expand

0 of 5 users found this helpful05

LeslieH.

Apr 26, 2007

His "plan" would have failed any of 50 ways, each one sending him to a life sentence. What if a different cop answered the call? What if they tested the gun when they were supposed to? What if they had someone else take his confession? Since the "plan" relies on 50 strange things happening His "plan" would have failed any of 50 ways, each one sending him to a life sentence. What if a different cop answered the call? What if they tested the gun when they were supposed to? What if they had someone else take his confession? Since the "plan" relies on 50 strange things happening his way, there was no plan.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful

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