By Ed Koch
“Fracture” (-)
I had hoped for more from this film.
When Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) learns that his wife (Embeth Davidtz) is having an affair, he kills her. Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling), a hotshot district attorney about to leave for the private sector, is assigned to the case.
Hopkins portrays a murderer with his customary droll dialogue and facial expressions, and Gosling, who resembles Justin Timberlake, has been hailed as a potential scene stealer. The characters are stereotypes, and not much of the dialogue or action is believable. Hopkins at times affects a disconcerting Irish accent.
In some ways, “Fracture” is a takeoff on the movie “Witness for the Prosecution” starring Charles Laughton and Marlene Dietrich, which will never be upstaged. One interesting aspect of the movie is the sensational camera work depicting wonderful scenes of Los Angeles. As interesting as those scenes are, they were not enough to hold my attention for the length of the film. Seeing this movie is a waste of time.
“Lonely Hearts” (+)
This film is based on the true actions of a couple who met through a lonely-hearts club. The period is the late 1930s and early ’40s, and everything looks authentic.
Ray Fernandez (Jared Leto) dupes lonely women into giving him their fortunes. Martha Beck (Salma Hayek), whom Ray tries to con, ultimately becomes his lover and partner. Elmer Robinson (John Travolta) and his associate Charles Hildebrandt (James Gandolfini) are Long Island detectives investigating recent crimes. Gandolfini of “The Sopranos” fame is always a superb actor no matter which side of the law he is on. A subplot involves Elmer, his teenage son, Eddie (Dan Byrd), and his mistress, Rene (Laura Dern), but it barely involves you.
Leto and Hayek are overpowering in their role — he as the lover and she as a black window spider capable of killing her mate.
“Lonely Hearts” contains some intimate scenes that are hilarious and murder scenes that are gruesome. All in all, it is a well-done American film noir. I saw it at the Quad Cinema located around the corner from my home.
