Fracture

It’s the classic murder tale: husband discovers wife is cheating, husband murders wife, husband walks away from trial a free man. O.J. Simpson, anyone?

Director Gregory Hoblit (“NYPD Blue,” “L.A. Law”) brings his crime and courtroom expertise to the big screen with “Fracture.” Though the movie’s promotional posters (Anthony Hopkins smiling sinisterly under the words “I shot my wife”) may lead audiences to believe that the film will be filled with dramatic on-foot chases and explosions, screenwriters Daniel Pyne and Glenn Gers turn “Fracture” into a battle of wits and words, instead.

Ted Crawford (Hopkins), a brilliant engineer specializing in “fracture mechanics,” finds his beautiful, younger wife Jennifer is sleeping with another man. He sets up the perfect murder and delights in watching police officer Rob Nunally realize the woman lying on the floor is Crawford’s wife. With a confession and the murder weapon, young, hotshot assistant D.A. Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling, “The Notebook”) thinks he has the conviction in the bag, but Hopkins complicates things. A series of legal technicalities make Hopkins harder to catch than anyone expects

The movie follows a devious dance between Hopkins and Gosling, as both try to find the other’s personal and intellectual fracture-points. During their mind games, the two great actors shine as they share the screen. Hopkins, an old veteran, goes head to head against Gosling, Hollywood’s new “it” boy and 2007 Best-Actor Nominee for “Half Nelson,” as each tries to one up the other.

Hopkins plays his role with his usual skill and control, delivering each line with just the right inflections and matching calm, pensive expressions. Perhaps typecast as an intellectual killer, he harks back to his portrayal of cannibalistic psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter in “The Silence of the Lambs.”

But he also adds subtle layers of complexity to his character. Crawford is more than a cold murderer, and viewers sympathize with him at moments and laugh at his clever retorts at others. At times, his performance is almost too perfect and a bit too familiar, but Hopkins impresses.

Gosling holds his own considerably well, though his experience is no match for Hopkins’s. His delivery in the courtroom misses a convincing punch, disappointing for an attorney who is supposed to have a 97 percent conviction rate.

The film boasts a strong supporting cast, including Academy Award-nominee David Strathairn (Edward R. Murrow in “Good Night, and Good Luck”) and Rosamund Pike (“Pride & Prejudice”), who plays Gosling’s sexy new boss. Pike serves as the clichéd workplace lover, and it’s a bit of a stretch when she brings Gosling home for Thanksgiving dinner.

The in-your-face cinematography of this intellectual suspense flick is sure to engage its audiences. Several intense close-ups allow Hopkins, Gosling, and the rest of the cast to showcase their facial talents. “Fracture” contains no wild car races and is relatively bloodless, which speaks to the ability of the actors and the script to make murder more than just slashings and chases.