Fracture is a 2007 legal crime psychological thriller film starring Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling, and directed by Gregory Hoblit.

[2] It is the story of a man who shoots his unfaithful wife, and then engages in a battle of wits with a young assistant district attorney.

Theodore "Ted" Crawford, a wealthy Irish aeronautical engineer living in Los Angeles, confirms that his wife, Jennifer, is having an affair with police detective Robert Nunally.

Police are called, including Nunally, who enters the house cautiously, negotiating with Crawford for both to put down their guns.

Beachum discovers that Crawford's handgun could not have been used in the shooting because it does not match shell casings at the crime scene and in fact has never been fired.

Realizing that Crawford's plan is to dispose of the only eyewitness to the crime, Beachum obtains a court order to keep Jennifer on life support.

The detective had arrived on the scene carrying Crawford's gun, and both had put down their weapons as a preliminary move in negotiations.

The film ends with a new trial about to begin, with Beachum prosecuting and Crawford surrounded by a team of highly paid defense attorneys.

The website's critics consensus states: "Though Fracture's plot is somewhat implausible, the onscreen face-off between Gosling and Hopkins overshadows any faults.

[10] Owen Gleiberman of Entertainment Weekly also gave the film a positive review, and like Rainer, he praised the performances of Hopkins and Gosling, noting that "the two actors are terrific".

He is Brando at the time of Streetcar, or Nicholson in Five Easy Pieces, and altogether one of the more remarkable happenings at the movies today.

Gosling is equally good in the less showy role of a righteous prosecutor, investing a stock part with as much droll humor and charisma as he can muster.

"[17] Philip French of The Guardian wrote that "wily old gander Hopkins running rings around the confident young Gosling is a lot of fun."

[18] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times also positively reviewed Hopkins' and Gosling's performances, writing, "Mr. Hopkins and Mr. Gosling navigate the film’s sleekly burnished surfaces and darkly lighted interiors, its procedural twists and courtroom turns without breaking stride or into a sweat.

"[22] Richard Schickel of Time magazine, like Bennett, Morris and Vonder Haar, gave the film a mixed review, and stated: "It renders passion dispassionate and turns murder into a kind of fashion statement, something we observe without really caring about.