illustration by evan keeling
In which Jason Griffenhagen (of Death by Sexy ,
sharp dresser, and starlet)
reviews (post-release) whatever movie was number 1 in the box office the previous weekend,
and tells everyone why its fucking terrible. or good.
Last weekend “Disturbia” kept on going strong, and the second best had to do. Which was:FRACTUREoh my…a semi-serious film review! not many jokes to be made for this one. Although a Young Hercules image would do wonders.
FractureNot about the fragile ossified hips of the film’s target audienceAhh – to be a teenager in the suburbs! To come to the theater on a random night, giggling loudly and reeking of Marijuana Cigarettes! To be discovered by the theater security guard, ditch your stash in the bathroom, and then try to still enjoy your movie!
Here’s the scene when I enter the theater on Monday evening: Two teenaged girls were arguing very loudly with a security guard. They told him maybe he wouldn’t have such a crappy job if he laid off the donuts and lost some weight. He didn’t like that very much. He told them he already had enough evidence to arrest one of them and kick the other one out. That got their attention. Of course, being the snot-nosed rabble rousers that they were, they said they’d leave, but they wanted their money back. I don’t know if they got the refund, but I guess them not being in the theater made for a more enjoyable filmgoing experience. I’m sure the four other elderly men in the theater and I just wanted the little brats out so we could enjoy our adult courtroom drama and the Ensure and Werther’s Orginal Candies we snuck into the theater.
Which brings us to the movie, and the announcement of “It’s THRILLER season, folks!” The fact that Fracture didn’t overtake Disturbia, along with the makeup of the audience with whom I saw the film, just proves the point that younger people drive box office numbers. Of course, Fracture doesn’t have any hot chicks in bikinis in it, but what it lacks in hotness, it definitely makes up for in plot, structure, and acting. Which I’m sure most 14 year old boys could give two wet farts about.
Ryan Gosling, who has come a long way from his Young Hercules* days, plays Steamin’ Willy Beachum, a cocky on the rise attorney who never loses. Anthony Hopkins kills his wife, and then exploits both Mr. Gosling’s character and the legal system in an effort to get away with the murder. As the prosecuting attorney in the case, Mr. Gosling, although he didn’t perform any feats of superhuman strength, certainly shows why he’s one of the best young actors working in film today. Anthony Hopkins is, of course, excellent as well. He definitely is in his comfort zone, playing a murdering genius toying with a young detective type on the rise, a la Silence of the Lambs. Fracture is an interesting courtroom mystery, in effect because its not a regular mystery at all, and doesn’t have many scenes inside the courtroom. We know from the beginning who did it. So it turns out to be less of a “whodunit” and more of a “Hows he gonna convict him?”
The film is primarily about what happens to someone when the system they believe in, to a fault, fails them miserably. I couldn’t help but think that the screenwriter got a lot of his inspiration from the Orenthal James Simpson case. When the legal system gets bogged down in its own morass, is one’s ethics strong enough to not play dirty to convict a man you know is guilty?
Anyways, the few problems I did have with the film stem from one point. Is adultery enough of a motivation for a man to elaborately kill his own wife and try to get away with it? There’s not enough back story to Mr. Hopkins’ character, to really push this film into the area of greatness. What you get is an underdeveloped character toying with another one, and it leaves the viewer a little wanting in the end. We also come to the problem of the end of the film, which seemed a little abrupt, and too neatly wrapped up to satisfy me. But really, I’m just nitpicking on this one. This was by far the most thought provoking film I’ve reviewed all year, and one that didn’t overtly pander to its audience. It went places I didn’t expect, plus the whole movie going experience gave me some real-life drama as well.
And, no, I didn’t get a chance to steal the stash the teenagers ditched in the trash can. Although, I did try. So at least give me an A for effort.
Next week: I promise to stop being so serious, especially considering what’s on the menu…Nick Cage can see the future(but evidently not the future of his movie career) in Next; the season of the Hollywood supernatural thriller is still upon us when we are beset with The Invisible, and my favorite thing in the world, a professional wrestler acting! – Steve Austin lays the smack down in The Condemned. Til then, I’m debating on whether or not its time for me to get Depends undergarments. I think…yes! Stay safe, kids.
*Thanks for the tip, D.