Fracture

I came across a replay of Fracture on TV recently and, not being entirely sure I had ever seen the whole film, needed to rent it on Netflix ASAP. Ryan Gosling cast as one of the lead characters sweetened the deal, of course.

I've been a fan of Gosling since Half Nelson and his range as an actor is evident from it, Fracture, Lars and the Real Girl, and last year's stunning Blue Valentine. I wasn't surprised by the depths Gosling was able to go to to play one half of a struggling married couple in Derek Cianfrance's film, especially after he and Michelle Williams had been dedicated to the roles for years before its release.
Perhaps Fracture is not as serious of a project and the plot is a little weak, but Gosling acted with the same caliber and made the movie.
In the cat-and-mouse "legal thriller" Gosling is a newbie assistant district attorney, Willy Beachum, who secures a gig at a big private legal firm just as he takes an attempted murder case at the end of his job with the city of Los Angeles.
Anthony Hopkins is the defendant in the case, Tom Crawford, on trial for shooting his wife.
Crawford clearly had a plan from the get-go on how to escape a conviction, but Beachum knows there is more to the story and ends up one step ahead.
Crawford represents himself in the trial, which may be possible, but just seemed too unrealistic. I know it's a movie, but the believability of the cop investigation and trial process were a little off. Perhaps it was all part of showing how a young attorney thrust into a high-profile Los Angeles crime would work through taking the investigation to trial, and winning the case.
Having now finished the film, I don't think I had seen it in its entirety after all and recommend it to Gosling fans as perhaps one of his lesser-known roles. The supporting cast isn't so bad either with David Strathairn as Beachum's boss at the district attorney's office and Rosamund Pike as his associate at the private law firm and romantic interest.

All in all, Fracture is a solid film and certainly didn't lessen my admiration for Gosling by any means. At that, I just had to check what he's up to next. 

I've already seen multiple previews for Crazy Stupid Love where Gosling joins Steve Carrell, Julianne Moore, Marisa Tomei and Emma Stone as what appears to be a studly character who knows a thing or two about charming the ladies. I am sure there is more to the plot than that, but since Gosling's got a second bill in the cast, I'm there.

Next is George Clooney's The Ides of March, which I've been eyeing up for a while, and a return to working with Derek Cianfrance in 2013's The Place Beyond the Pines.

Gosling has lined up comedy, drama, action and maybe a little sci-fi with his role announced in Logan's Run, and I'll take it all. Even as Gosling's career seems to be catapulting into the realm of super stardom, he's got smart roles lined up and likely won't sell out into rom-com land or comic book movies. Not that I wouldn't see those, either.