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"FRACTURE" (2007) (Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling) (R) Alcohol/ Drugs Blood/Gore Disrespectful/ Bad Attitude Frightening/ Tense Scenes Guns/ Weapons Moderate Heavy Extreme Moderate Extreme Imitative Behavior Jump Scenes Music (Scary/Tense) Music (Inappropriate) Profanity Moderate None Moderate None Extreme Sex/ Nudity Smoking Tense Family Scenes Topics To Talk About Violence Moderate Minor Heavy Moderate Extreme QUICK TAKE: Drama: A hotshot prosecutor finds himself up against a wily legal opponent as he tries to nail a man who shot his own adulterous wife in what appears to be the perfect crime. PLOT: Ted Crawford (ANTHONY HOPKINS) is a highly regarded aviation engineer, but his success at work doesn't translate to his life at home. Fully aware that his wife Jennifer (EMBETH DAVIDTZ) is having an affair with hostage negotiator Rob Nunally (BILLY BURKE), Ted shoots her in the head, and then allows Rob to arrest him, with the cop only now realizing his lover's identity. Having just landed a job in the private sector where he'll soon be having a fling with his future boss, Nikki Gardner (ROSAMUND PIKE), city prosecutor Willy Beachum (RYAN GOSLING) doesn't want to take the attempted murder case. Being told that Crawford has already given an oral and written confession and will represent himself in court, however, suggests to Willy that this will be an easily closed case. Willy's boss, Joe Lobruto (DAVID STRATHAIRN), certainly seems to think so, especially considering his protégé's 97% success rate. Nevertheless, and shocking everyone with the news that the victim and arresting officer were lovers, Ted turns the tables on Willy. Realizing he's now up against a wily opponent who seems to have committed the perfect crime, Willy does what he can to find something against Ted before the suspect walks away a free man. WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT? Unless they're fans of someone in the cast, this will likely only be interesting to older teens. WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: R For language and some violent content. CAST AS ROLE MODELS: ANTHONY HOPKINS plays an aviation engineer who, upset with his wife having an affair, shoots her in what he believes will be the perfect crime. Cocky, arrogant, and intelligent, he relishes battling and indirectly belittling Willy in court. He uses strong profanity. RYAN GOSLING plays a hotshot city prosecutor who's landed himself a lucrative job in the private sector but sticks around to prosecute Crawford's case in the belief that it will be a slam-dunk. When it isn't and he finds himself backed into a professional and personal corner, he must decide how to proceed. He also sleeps with his future boss at his new job and uses some strong profanity. ROSAMUND PIKE plays his future boss at his new job who sleeps with him but worries when the case against Crawford threatens to undermine her lover's golden boy status. DAVID STRATHAIRN plays Willy's boss in his city job who isn't happy that his protégé is leaving or that he dropped his guard against Ted. EMBETH DAVIDTZ plays Ted's wife who's having an affair with Rob. BILLY BURKE plays a hostage negotiator who's having an affair with Jennifer and is then shocked to learn that she's Ted's wife who he's just arrested. He becomes progressively unhinged and even offers to break the law once his indiscretion has been made public. CAST, CREW, & TECHNICAL INFO HOW OTHERS RATED THIS MOVIE Curious if this title is entertaining, any good, and/or has any artistic merit? Then read OUR TAKE of this film. (Note: The "Our Take" review of this title examines the film's artistic merits and does not take into account any of the possibly objectionable material listed below). OUR WORD TO PARENTS: The following is a brief summary of the content found in this R-rated drama. Profanity consists of at least 9 "f" words, while other expletives and colorful phrases are also uttered. Sexually related dialogue is present, as is a visual suggestion of a sexual encounter (a close-up view of skin contact, but no details and nothing explicit), while another is implied. Violence consists of a man shooting his cheating wife in the head, with bloody results and leaving her in a coma, while another man commits suicide via a gunshot to the head (we only see the bloody aftermath). Some brief striking of others also occurs. Those scenes and a few other moments of potential peril might be unsettling or suspenseful to some viewers. Various characters have varying degrees of bad attitudes, while drinking and very brief smoking also occurs. Some behavior may be enticing for some kids to imitate, while tense family material (mainly involving the previously mentioned affair and its aftermath) is also present. If you're still concerned about the film and its appropriateness for yourself or anyone else in your home who may be interested in seeing it, we suggest that you take a closer look at our detailed listings for more specific information regarding the film's content. For those concerned with bright flashes of light on the screen, there's some of that from flashing police lights. For those prone to visually induced motion sickness, there are varying amounts of camera movement in the film. ALCOHOL OR DRUG USE Willy has a drink and then another at a reception where others also drink. Nikki has wine or champagne, followed by Willy having the same. Miscellaneous people drink at a party, as do Nikki and Willy. Willy spots a mostly empty liquor bottle in Rob's motel room. Nikki's family has wine with a meal. We see an open beer bottle by Willy. After the trial has gone badly for Willy, Nikki offers to take him out and get him completely trashed (that doesn't happen). When Joe visits, Willy offers to get him a beer, but that doesn't occur. BLOOD/GORE Ted aims a gun at his wife and then shoots her in the head (we don't see the impact, but do see some blood on her shirt as well as a pool on the floor by her in which we see Ted's reflection). As he drags her across the floor, that leaves a bloody smear. Ted has a little bit of a bloody lip after Rob repeatedly punches him. We see a little bit of blood on the hospital bandage around Jennifer's head. We hear a gunshot in the courthouse and people go rushing toward the open stairwell where they see a dead man on a landing, a gun in his hand and blood on his head and neck and a little on the wall and floor by him (from a suicide). We later see a flashback to that dead and bloody body. In the background of a shot, we see a dog lifting its leg to urinate, but don't see the actual act. About having shot his wife, Ted coolly says he could smell the "blood and sh*t." DISRESPECTFUL/BAD ATTITUDE Jennifer is cheating on Ted with Rob, who we later learn is also married. Ted obviously has a bad attitude for shooting his wife and thinking he's pulled off the perfect crime where he'll walk away a free man. After Ted points out that Rob was having an affair with Jennifer, the cop races across the courtroom and tackles Ted to the floor until he's pulled away. Despite being his future boss, Nikki has a sexual fling with Willy. Desperate to put Ted away for good, Rob says a guy in the evidence room owed him a favor, so he (Rob) can now switch the bullets from the shooting scene and thus illegally pin the crime on Ted. Willy then contemplates using that as a last resort during the trial, and nearly does before reconsidering. To finish off his wife, Ted has her removed from life support in the hospital. FRIGHTENING SCENES When Ted tells Jennifer he loves her, her reply is "I know." Ted then asks, "Does he?" (referring to Rob). Ted then aims a gun at her and then shoots her in the head (we don't see the impact, but do see some blood on her shirt as well as a pool on the floor by her in which we see Ted's reflection). As he drags her across the floor, that leaves a bloody smear. When some workers hear the shot and then knock on the door, Ted fires more shots through the window (not particularly at them). Police arrive at Ted's home with handguns and automatic weapons and we see that he's still holding his gun in his house. Rob (the hostage negotiator) slowly enters, and both men put down their guns. Rob then spots Jennifer on the floor (realizing for the first time that she's Ted's wife) and goes to check on her, with Ted then approaching him from behind with his gun. Rob then spins and knocks it away and the two struggle, followed by Rob repeatedly punching Ted on the floor before being pulled away by other cops. We hear a gunshot in the courthouse and people go rushing toward the open stairwell where they see a dead man on a landing, a gun in his hand and blood on his head and neck and a little on the wall and floor by him (from a suicide). We later see a flashback to that dead and bloody body. Knowing that Ted is planning to take Jennifer off life support, Willy gets a judge's order to stop that and races to the hospital. However, guards there grab, tackle, and then pin him to the floor as we hear the wife's vital signs flat-line. After Ted unknowingly lets him in (thinking he's a driver), Willy looks around Ted's place (we worry that Ted might get him). GUNS/WEAPONS Handguns: Used to threaten, wound or kill others and commit suicide. See "Violence" for details. Police arrive at Ted's home with handguns and automatic weapons and we see that he's still holding his gun in his house. IMITATIVE BEHAVIOR Phrases: "Because you're a f*cking lawyer," "F*ck you (punk)," "F*ck me? You already did that" (nonsexual), "I just thought the guy was f*cking nuts," "Get the f*ck out of my house," "Oh sh*t," "That is such lawyer sh*t," "I could smell the blood and sh*t," "You can get your rocks off on that," "My dick has evidence" and "My dick is good" (referring to a private eye, but meant to suggest the other meaning), "Shut up," "You asshole," "Who the hell are you?" "What the hell /is this/is it about?" "The guy's screwing with us," "Are you out of your mind?" "You bet your ass," "I'm still screwed," "Just being an asshole" and "Bastards." It's possible the film could inspire troubled kids to try to pull off the perfect crime (where they get away free despite being guilty). A person commits suicide by shooting themselves in the head (we hear, but don't see the act, although we see the bloody aftermath). JUMP SCENES None. MUSIC (SCARY/TENSE) A moderate amount of suspenseful music plays in the film. MUSIC (INAPPROPRIATE) None. PROFANITY At least 9 "f" words (1 used sexually), 4 "s" words, 2 slang terms using male genitals ("d*ck" -- referring to a private eye, but meant to suggest the other meaning), 6 hells, 3 asses (2 used with "hole"), 2 craps and 1 use each of "G-damn," "My God" and "Jesus Christ." SEX/NUDITY We briefly see close-up images of two bodies together, showing skin, but nothing explicit and neither person is identified (although it's implied it's Rob and Jennifer). We see Rob shirtless out by the pool as Jennifer swims in a standard one-piece bathing suit. Jennifer is cheating on Ted with Rob, and Ted goes to the hotel room where the other two have been having their tryst. He finds her panties on the bed there. We see Ted shirtless as he cleans the shooting evidence off himself. When Rob finds Jennifer on the floor with a gunshot wound, he asks Ted if she's still alive. Ted calmly tells Rob to check her femoral artery, telling him to put his finger up her skirt. We see some miscellaneous cleavage at a reception. During the trial, Ted raises an objection while Rob is on the stand. When the judge asks what that is in layman's terms, Ted says, "F*cking the victim" and then comments on the arresting officer having sexual intercourse with his (Ted's) wife. Ted then says, "My dick has evidence," adding that he's referring to his private investigator, followed by him saying, "My dick is good." Willy climbs onto Nikki in bed, saying he has to go (implying earlier sex). He's dressed and she slips on a nightgown as he leaves. A comment is made about Ted trying on the dress and sniffing the panties (referring to his wife's adulterous behavior). About something nonsexual, Ted tells Willy, "You can get your rocks off on that." SMOKING We briefly see some miscellaneous characters smoking in one scene. TENSE FAMILY SCENES When Ted tells Jennifer he loves her, her reply is "I know." Ted then asks, "Does he?" (referring to Rob). Ted then aims a gun at her and then shoots her. Rob states that his wife took the kids and moved out. Ted has his wife removed from life support, but he shows no grief over that (as it's part of his plan). TOPICS TO TALK ABOUT The concept of the perfect crime. Affairs. We hear that Jennifer is in a coma following Ted shooting her, and he later plans to remove her from life support. Ted wanting to defend himself in court (rather than have outside counsel). Forensics work at crime scenes. Willy being tempted to break the law to win the court case against Ted. A person commits suicide by shooting themselves in the head (we hear, but don't see the act, although we see the bloody aftermath). The concept of double jeopardy in criminal cases. VIOLENCE When Ted tells Jennifer he loves her, her reply is "I know." Ted then asks, "Does he?" (referring to Rob). Ted then aims a gun at her and then shoots her in the head (we don't see the impact, but do see some blood on her shirt as well as a pool on the floor by her in which we see Ted's reflection). As he drags her across the floor, that leaves a bloody smear. When some workers hear the shot and then knock on the door, Ted fires more shots through the window (not particularly at them). We later hear that Jennifer is in a coma from the shooting. Police arrive at Ted's home with handguns and automatic weapons and we see that he's still holding his gun in his house. Rob (the hostage negotiator) slowly enters, and both men put down their guns. Rob then spots Jennifer on the floor (realizing for the first time that she's Ted's wife) and goes to check on her, with Ted then approaching him from behind with his gun. Rob then spins and knocks it away and the two struggle, followed by Rob repeatedly punching Ted on the floor before being pulled away by other cops. After Ted points out that Rob was having an affair with Jennifer, the cop races across the courtroom and tackles Ted to the floor until he's pulled away. A person commits suicide by shooting themselves in the head (we hear, but don't see the act, although we see the bloody aftermath). Knowing that Ted is planning to take Jennifer off life support, Willy gets a judge's order to stop that and races to the hospital. However, guards there grab, tackle, and then pin him to the floor as we hear the wife's vital signs flat-line. We see a flashback to Ted shooting Jennifer, including that of her reaction to being shot, but we don't see the actual impact. Reviewed April 17, 2007 / Posted April 20, 2007

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