Fracture

The clash of two generations of actors was excellent in terms of their roles. Hopkins dominates everything again and even in a supporting role is clearly the biggest asset of the film, but Ryan Gosling also has a lot to say and handles his lawyer part with great ease. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the screenplay, which suffers from trying to enrich an interesting central plot with a minor and ultimately completely unnecessary and boring storyline – kind of like if a friend would tell you a suspenseful horror story and at some point during the climax he would inexplicably digress to how the main character had a great time fishing the other day. At the same time, not only in terms of acting, but also in terms of craftsmanship, the film is very well executed, in the conversations between the protagonists we can almost see Dr. Lecter and both characters have a clear motive in their actions, which the viewer must understand, even if it’s quite morbid. Too bad about the drawn-out mush in the form of the otherwise very handsome Rosamund Pike and the entire middle part, where the film loses its pace and lacks some plot twists that would take the viewer out of the lethargy. I'm sure we were set for a lot more than we got in the end. 70% (23/02/2013)

The atmosphere is excellent, Hopkins is simply brilliant as a rich man and Gosling is very believable. The highlight of the film are the dialogue scenes between the two mentioned acting sensations, which have a very addictive charge and brilliantly sharp lines. Unfortunately, the basic structure of the story is already a bit cliché, and even though the director tried to skate around it by adding some unpredictable and unusual element, he didn't succeed. Despite its hints of uniqueness, I’d label this film as pleasantly watchable, just don't expect anything new. (24/12/2008)

I was bored the entire time watching this. Not even the actors could save it, though they really tried. It’s been a while since I ignored the bad reviews and gave a movie a shot, but this one had me wondering if I’d even finish it. Ryan Gosling, as much as I usually like him, felt like a rookie lawyer at times. (02/01/2015)

Gosling and Hopkins's scenes together are an absolute treat, you could almost cut that tension. The rest is wadding, with one completely useless character (Gosling's boss/girlfriend Nikki) whose only "role" is to stretch the time to at least 112 minutes, the plot itself and the verbal duels of the two main protagonists barely making it to half the runtime. The film has some strong moments that stem from the acting skills of the two leads, but as a whole it is forgettable and mediocre. (23/10/2007)

Anthony Hopkins is an incredible actor and in Fracture, he manages to show it again in full. And because of it - actually, mainly because of it - the film Fracture appears smarter than it actually is. Yes, it is a classic film about the perfect crime but unfortunately, its ending is quite conventional. I hoped it could be a bit better, different, smarter, and grittier, but unfortunately, I did not get that. Clever, yes, but not brilliant. (02/12/2013)