FRACTURE (2007) 2 1/2 stars out of 4. Starring Anthony Hopkins, Ryan Gosling, David Strathairn, Rosamund Pike, Embeth Davidtz, Billy Burke, Cliff Curtis, Fiona Shaw and Bob Gunton. Story by Daniel Pyne. Screenplay by Pyne and Glenn Gers. Directed by Gregory Hoblit. Rated: R.

Fracture is one of those “perfect crime” dramas in which the suspense is created not by whodunit, but will he get away with it.

Anthony Hopkins stars as Crawford, a structural engineer who comes home from work one day and shoots his wife in the face in cold blood.

The shot does not kill her, but puts her in a vegetative state.

Hopkins admits to the crime, and the case is assigned to Willie (Ryan Gosling) a young assistant district attorney with “one foot out the door.” Will is about to embark on a new career as a corporate lawyer with a prestigious firm.

Willie reluctantly accepts the assignment because he is assured that Crawford will plead guilty. Much to his surprise, not only does Crawford plead not guilty, but he is allowed to act as his own attorney.

Hopkins’ Crawford is not as scary as a Hannibal Lecter, but he is creepy in a rather enjoyable way.

You get the chills watching him weave his webs, and make everyone jump as he pulls various strings. Deep down, you almost hope he gets away with it.

One reason for that is because Gosling’s Willie is not a likable person. He is cocky, self-centered and ambitious. And despite having a 97 percent conviction rate he is one of those lawyers who uses short cuts.

You almost root for him to fail. Because even as his case is collapsing around him, Willie doesn’t seem to concern himself nor give his responsibilities his full effort and attention.

That is because he is being distracted by his new “mentor” at his new gig, portrayed by the fetching Rosamund Pike.

And that is one of the movie’s sore points. Their affair begins too quickly and for no apparent reason other than to add to Willie’s distractions. Plus if Pike’s character were as smart a lawyer as she claims to be, she would not get involved with some who would be working under her.

Director Gregory Hoblit works with a sure hand. This TV veteran of the classic Hill Street Blues knows his craft. Too bad, though, he did not pick up the pace and tighten the editing.

At nearly two hours, Fracture is too long and many stretches are too slow.

The ending is not a cheat, but a logical progression from everything that has gone before.

Fracture is good, it’s steady, but it is flat. It fails to deliver any high points of drama or confrontation, even at the payoff.

It’s a film that could have used some sparks and flash.

Bob Bloom is the film critic and DVD reviewer at the Journal & Courier in Lafayette, Ind. He can be reached by e-mail at bbloom@journalandcourier.com or at bloomjc@yahoo.com. Bloom's reviews also can be found at the Journal & Courier Web site: www.jconline.com
Other reviews by Bloom can be found at the Rottentomatoes Web site: www.rottentomatoes.com.