Fracture stresses the chinks, the vulnerable points, of its two main characters, Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins of Proof, and The Silence of the Lambs fame) and Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling of Half Nelson). The two are in a battle of wills and wits. Neither likes to lose. 

Ted owns an aeronautical engineering firm, and as a hobby he designs and builds elaborate, large scale, cause and effect rolling steel ball puzzles. He’s not just smart; he’s in the genius category. To be accurate, Ted’s the cliché, a diabolical genius.  

He speeds away from work in the middle of the day, after casually solving a complex problem that has his staff scratching their heads. Ted tears through traffic, deftly maneuvering his $100,000-plus convertible, and heads straight to the hotel where his wife Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz of Bridget Jones Diary) and her lover, Rob (Billy Burke of Ladder 49), splash around first in the bed and then the pool. He’s just there to confirm what he suspects, right? Wrong.   

Later that afternoon when Jennifer returns to the rambling glass and steel house she shares with her husband, Ted, it’s obvious that he enjoys playing mind games with her. When he tires of that, Ted shoots his wife, point blank, in the head. Gardeners working outside hear the gunshots and pound on the door, as Ted arranges the crime scene, and then coolly waits for the police to arrive. 

The chief investigator, who enters the house to talk with Ted, is horrified to recognize the victim as Jennifer, and he breaks down as he tries to revive her. The policeman is Rob, Jennifer’s lover. 

Somehow, perhaps too miraculously, Jennifer survives but is in a coma. Ted is arrested and jailed for attempted murder. 

Assistant District Attorney Willy Beachum has a 97% conviction rate, and manipulates his opportunities to snag a high paying private firm position, defending big corporate interests. His new supervisor is the beautiful though shark-like Nikki (Rosamund Pike of Pride & Prejudice).   Willy thinks of her as his mentor and she corrects him to understand that she’s more like a probation officer. Nikki will do what needs to be done to maintain her position. Willy must come up to speed on a big case ASAP while making his transition from the ADA position. 

Willy’s boss Joe (David Strathairn of Good Night, Good Luck) is not happy that Willy’s leaving, essentially without any notice.  But Joe, the dedicated public servant he his, has seen it before and can accept it.

He convinces Willy to take the arraignment of Ted for the attempted murder of his wife because it’s a slam-dunk. Ted has confessed. Willy likes to win, which turns out to be both his strength and a weakness. Willy figures he can rack up one last win as an ADA, with a signed confession and the murder weapon in hand. Then Ted insists that he will represent himself, and he seems to be the perfect example of the man who represents himself and has a fool for a client. We know that’s not the case and soon Willy realizes that as well. Ted and Willy see something of themselves in each other.  

There are issues with the confession that come out of an objection raised by Ted, which could be used as the definition of dark humor. Then when the ballistics results show the gun in evidence was never fired, the game is on. Ted may just get a walk on the murder with the protection of double jeopardy. 

The fun in this film is that like Michael Douglas’s A Perfect Murder, it’s a very smart whodunit. Good people in the film are flawed, to the point that in spite of what Ted does, those that try to convict him of the crime are people that you don’t like much better. 

Hopkins and Gosling are great adversaries. They both deliver tremendous performances, sometimes with just the raise of an eyebrow. You know that sooner or later Willy will probably find an approach to trip up Ted, but you aren’t really sure. The best mystery thrillers don’t continually throw red herrings in your face to confuse you. Fracture gives you the clues and it’s a delight to figure things out even though you are constantly a few steps behind. 

The fine supporting cast of Pike, Strathairn and Cliff Curtis of Whale Rider (as Detective Flores) provide a near perfect balance of suspense in the cat and mouse game of who is the smartest guy in the room between Ted and Willy. 

Director Gregory Hoblit (Hart’s War), creates a real thriller from a screenplay co-written by Daniel Pyne (The Manchurian Candidate (2004), and The Sum of All Fears) and Glenn Gers. 

It’s great to see Hopkins playing the bad guy again (think Hannibal Lechter). With veteran Hopkins and the tremendous fresh talent of Gosling, this thriller is a real treat.