Fracture -- A Movie Review

FRACTURE
by Darryl Zoller, FAPC

On the Friday that FRACTURE opened at area theatres. I went to see it because I like mysteries and Anthony Hopkins is in this one. His acting is almost always worth watching.

At a continuing education event a presenter said that pastors should read more mysteries. Why? Often pastors live in a bubble where it is church all the time and have fewer encounters with the world and its evils. Reading mysteries reminds us of the reality of good and evil and the constant battle between them. Of course, reading the daily newspaper can provide this, too!

Enter FRACTURE, a film that presents mysteries, riddles, enigmas, and some entertaining dark humor. Anthony Hopkins plays Ted Crawford who is married to a beautiful trophy wife who is having an torrid affair with a police detective Rob Nunnally, played by David Strathairn. Crawford knows of the affair and shoots his wife, sending her into a coma. Nunnally responds to the scene of the crime, only to find out that the mystery woman he was having an affair with is Crawford's wife. Crawford freely admits doing the deed. Crawford is promptly arrested, booked, charged, and then the fun begins as he traps a cocky Assistant District Attorney Willy Beachum, played by Willy Beachum, into prosecuting him for a crime that seems easy to win ... or so it seems at first.

So, the twists and turns are engaging, Hopkins is at his best form, and the humor is dark. I was able to see the surprise ending coming as you may, but, hey, it's worth it just to see Hopkins's Cheshire cat grin and minute facial changes that communicate so much more than mere words can. Even the few words Hopkins is scripted fit the man he portrays.

Hopkins may be getting too old for parts where he has a young wife. Gosling, who looks like he is a teenager, appeared too young for his part. Strathairn looks like he belongs in the pages of GQ but his acting passed my believability test. Don't miss Billy Burke who plays the District Attorney. I like his acting and found his part added some color to the main plot.

Every crime has a flaw, a fracture, that allows it to be solved and justice to reign. Go see FRACTURE. I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Darryl C. Zoller,
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