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The Review - AT THE MOVIES with WILLIAM HALL
Published: 19 April 2007

Hopkins is on deadly form

FRACTURE
Directed by Gregory Hoblit
Certificate 15

THE perfect murder. That’s what design genius Anthony Hopkins plans after discovering his wife (Embeth Davidtz) having an affair with a detective (Billy Burke) half his age.
He shoots her in their living room in front of our eyes, and immediately confesses to the crime. She is left fighting for her life in hospital.
In his arrogance he plays devious mind games with the hot-shot lawyer (Ryan Gosling) assigned as state prosecutor – a young lion with his own agenda to climb the corporate legal ladder. Hopkins insists on conducting his own defence, tying the prosecution case in knots when the murder gun unaccountably disappears, and the confession turns out to have been obtained by the very cop involved with his wife.
“Be careful with this guy. There’s something not right about him,” warns the attorney’s boss (David Strathairn). How true. The accused takes a delight in humiliating the eager-beaver facing him across the court-room, winning points at every step.
With that baleful boiled-blue gaze Hopkins delivers a chilling performance worthy of Hannibal Lecter himself, though this time he is only sinking his teeth into a meaty role thanks to a cracking script. “Even a broken clock gets to be right twice a day,” he observes in passing to psyche out his opponent.
Probe too deep into the plot, and you’ll find a few loose ends. But ultimately here is a superior suspense thriller with more twists than Hampton Court Maze.
Top-notch performances all round, particularly from Ryan Gosling – this film could be his major breakthrough to real stardom. And Hopkins? He’s just terrific. Welcome back to the dark side, Tony!

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