The Silence of the Lambs(1991) is one of the most iconic films of all time, but it wouldn’t be the last timeAnthony Hopkinsplayed mind games with a younger actor. InFracture(2007), he gets into a courtroom battle withRyan Gosling. The plot is heavy on dialogue and less on action, as these actors share the screen as opponents in thislegal thriller. Dr. Hannibal Lecter may exist in the crime genre, but he best represents a modern horror movie monster.Hopkins’ role inFractureas Ted Crawford is a far different type of monsterwho longs to commit the perfect crime. As hard as Gosling’s character attempts to stop him, Crawford might just get away with murder.
After shooting his wife, Ted confesses his crime. He represents himself against Willy, a successful lawyer. But there’s more to the case than meets the eye.
What Is ‘Fracture’ About?
Hopkins' Ted Crawford enjoys a wealthy life. He’s an aeronautical engineer, who can discover any small error that needs to be corrected. He lives in a sprawling Art Deco home. One bad spot is his marriage to his wife Jennifer (Embeth Davidtz), whom he finds out is being unfaithful to him. He kills her, gets arrested, confesses, and goes to court, where hotshot deputy district attorney, Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) prosecutes the case. Both men think they’re the smartest ones in the room. Crawford needs everyone to believe his wife’s murder is an open-and-shut case. Willy’s flaw is he accepts cases he knows he can win, leaving the harder ones to others, and it doesn’t take long until he watches in horror as Crawford manipulates the law to protect himself.
Anthony Hopkins Is Chilling as a Cold-Hearted Killer in ‘Fracture’
One of the most revealing scenes in the film is just before Crawford picks up the lethal gun. On the day he plans to shoot his wife, he leaves work early and drives to where she is meeting the man she’s seeing, Lt. Rob Nunally (Billy Burke). What unravels is aHitchcockian sequencethatturns the camera and Crawford into a voyeur, spying on Jennifer through bushes as she and Nunally swim in a pool, oblivious to the extra pair of eyes on them. Crawford is a character who knows more than anyone else, and this scene puts that into focus. Later that night, Jennifer gets home and Crawford tells her, “You know I’ve been watching you sleep at night.” It’s empty of any possible warmth, leaving Jennifer feeling uncomfortable from hearing this, and it isn’t long before Crawford pulls out a gun to shoot her point-blank in the face.
Hopkins sells the scene brilliantly with his utter lack of guilt or sadness.While Jennifer lies bleeding on the floor, Crawford proceeds to multitask: cleaning off his fingerprints from the gun’s shell casings, then slipping off his shoes and changing his clothes. His actions are careful and cold.The mystery that followsasks what his master plan is and how he crafts theperfect crime. His unhurried movements tell viewers he knows what he’s doing, and that the justice system should be concerned. Without Hopkins' chilling, psychotic performance as Crawford, particularly in the aforementioned scene,Fracturewouldn’t be nearly as spine-tingling.
Ryan Gosling Plays to His Strengths in ‘Fracture’
If there’s one thingRyan Gosling knows how to do well, it’s to play a cool guy who feels he is in control, even if he isn’t. He’s got the smirk and the alluring confidence,using this personality inCrazy, Stupid, Love,La La Land, andBarbie. Each character is different,yet they feel distinct to Gosling. He does this inFracture, playing his deputy district attorney with a Southern accent and cockiness in his high number of cases won. The unfiltered truth is he picks and chooses the best cases to get that excellent record. During the first half ofFracture, he plans to leave the courtroom arena for a cozy corporate law firm. He reluctantly takes one last case, not giving it his full attention out of arrogance.
There’s no better example of Beachum’s distracted mind than when he spills coffee onto his suit for court. He then has to attend Crawford’s court hearing in the tuxedo he planned to wear to an evening party held by the prospective law firm. During their first encounter, Crawford is behind bars as he hears the charges. Jennifer is not dead yet, she’s in a coma, placing “attempted murder” charges on him. Hopkins’ portrayal consists of gesturing at his neck as if the older man is admiring the deputy DA’s bowtie, something Gosling scoffs at.The power dynamic between Ted Crawford and Willy Beachumshould be easy to figure out, and the “thrills” toFracture’s legal thriller is seeing the scales of justice lift the criminal over the head of the prosecutor.
The Chemistry Between Gosling and Hopkins Is ‘Fracture’s Greatest Strength
The power imbalance between Crawford and Beachum is arguably the most riveting aspect ofFracturedue to Hopkins and Gosling’s chemistry. The cat-and-mouse dynamic is on full display during a scene where Beachum has a sit-down meeting with Crawford, who is waiting in jail. During the tense exchange, there is never a look of worry on Anthony Hopkins’ face. He constantly has a Cheshire cat grin on.Gosling plays Beachum as trying to keep his head above water, but the waves are getting bigger. During the meeting, Beachum can’t help but get rattled, stumbling over his words while Crawford speaks with eloquence.
Laterin the courtroom, we once again see Crawford dismantling Beachum’s argument with a theatrical flair. The long game pays off. Crawford successfully gets his original confession ruled as inadmissible and as hard as Gosling puts a poker face on Beachum, the expression is tense and strained. The case is falling apart as Crawford’s premeditated move is so meticulous, that it slides into place like his rolling ball sculpture he tinkers with throughout the courtroom battle; the young prosecutor’s impeccable winning streak is endangered by a criminal mastermind.
The Characters Are What Matter the Most in ‘Fracture’
There are somewonderful, stylized moments toFracture. Office meetings are lit like aneo-noir,venetian blinds letting in slanted rows of light on the room’s occupants. But the characters matter the most.The cast is stellar, withDavid StrathairnandCliff Curtisin supporting roles. Billy Burke as Lt. Nunally can’t hold in his emotions, which has him play right into Crawford’s game.Fiona Shawis Judge Robinson, who oversees the central trial, in a subtle performance as someone who is staggered by the curveballs. Although Embeth Davidtz’s role is short,Matildafans will be devastated to see what happens to Miss Honey.Rosamund Pikeis Beachum’s future boss, Nikki, but while she and Beachum begin to get close romantically, the real chemistry is between the leading men, Gosling and Hopkins, who give absolute standout performances.
How Does ‘Fracture’ End?
Hopkins’ performance throughout is marked with a devilish smirk and a satisfied wink, knowing the right moment to show everyone he is two steps ahead. Ryan Gosling, not even 30 years old at the time of filming, looked just as young and this addsto his performance. He’s not a district attorney just yet, he’s still growing in his career, and soon his cool demeanor cracks. Once Crawford steers the trial in his favor, he’s acquitted. The names of the characters even foreshadow this outcome. Ted Crawford can indicate strength. Willy Beachum sounds like someone who is laid-back and shouldn’t be taken seriously. WhenGosling shifts his performance into becoming the hero this movie needs, a final showdown gets one more chance to flip who is the winner and who is the loser.
Beachum pieces together what Crawford’s master plan is, and he slowly lets Crawford realize he knows where the missing gun is — the key evidence. This time, Gosling gets to put a grin on his face, talking with a confident stride. The tension is different now. Up to this point in the film,Hopkins never portrayed Crawford as vulgar, but in trying to keep the upper hand, he resorts to taunting Beachumabout shooting Jennifer. Eventually, the scene leads to Crawford becoming quiet. This isn’t like duringthe courtroom sceneswhere his attention is elsewhere. He’s intently listening to Beachum, recognizing his perfect crime is coming undone.
A final image returns to the courtroom some time later, where Ted Crawford is surrounded by pricey attorneys. The outcome of this trial is left ambiguous, but Willy Beachum seems to have been given the kick he needed to rise to the challenge. The plot never turns Crawford into a wrathful man who tries to fatally silence Beachum on his own. This isn’t a tonal shift like inFatal Attraction(1987) whereGlenn Closelunges with a knife for a more exciting finale. That would be unnecessary, becauseFractureloves verbal confrontations within a battle of wits, and this legal thriller simmers with suspense by watching Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling face off.
