FRACTURE [R]
The cat-and-mouse game that follows the confession of a cunning Rich White Guy (Anthony Hopkins) to the attempted murder of his Adulterous Wife (Embeth Davidtz) would be more satisfying if it were not so simple. When an Upwardly Mobile Assistant D.A., played by Oscar nominee Ryan Gosling (Half Nelson), gets involved, the stakes are raised, the heat is on and the clichés pile. Hopkins, in full Lecter mode, is so damn likeable that one almost wants him to get away with his misdeed, and Gosling, as charismatic as he is, cannot fully sway sympathy toward himself. His motivation, other than to do his job, is unclear, and his fling with his Sexy New Boss at the High Powered Law Firm serves little purpose. Some back-story on either lead would have been helpful in making the film more compelling than a just-average episode of “Law & Order,” something that made director Gregory Hoblit’s sci-fi treat Frequency (2000) so engaging. Here, though, the interconnectedness of people and events is just happenstance, and it gives the whole thing a bland and formulaic feel. –Robert Newton