Most Ryan Gosling fans were introduced to him through The Notebook (2004).  But not your humble editor.  No, my first encounter with Gosling was this movie.  And I've been a fan ever since.

     There's been a murder.  All fingers point to the husband, Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins).  A young hot shot deputy D.A., Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) is assigned as the prosecutor.  Problem: they have no actual proof.  Let the battle of wits ensue.

     Hopkins turns in a very Hannibal-esque performance, and we are always happy about that. Gosling puts on a very convincing Oklahoma accent to compliment his cocky attitude.  And coming from the director of such gems as Fallen (1998) and Primal Fear (1996), you are guaranteed extra bang for your intrinsic buck.

     

     What Makes This Movie Cool:  The Chemistry.  The interaction between Hopkins and Gosling is an engaging cat and mouse game that will have you second guessing all parties involved.  Most murder mysteries revolve around finding the killer.  Fracture lets you know who the killer is within the first 10 minutes.  The mystery is seeing which of these two acting titans will break first.  And with first class talent like this, you'll be hard pressed to find a reason to change the channel.