There is probably no doubt that Hannibal Lecter was the parade role for Anthony Hopkins. True, the nearly 70-year-old exceptional actor has proven time and again that he can also embody lovable, charming characters very well and believably. But the intelligent, subtly embodied malevolence of the cannibalistic serial killer remains simply unbeatable. Now, with his role in the thriller "The Perfect Crime" Hopkins gets to slip into a similar character again, proving that Hannibal Lecter wasn't just an exception.
Ted Crawford (Hopkins) has achieved almost everything: he's rich, professionally successful, and has a beautiful, much younger wife (Embeth Davidtz). When he discovers Jennifer is having an affair, he shoots her in cold blood. But what at first seems like a spontaneous act of passion quickly turns out to be a perfectly planned murder. But has Ted actually succeeded in committing the perfect crime? Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) sees the case as the perfect ending to his stint for the district attorney (David Strathairn) before he starts a lucrative job with a big law firm in a few days. But Willy must quickly realize that Ted is exploiting his youthful arrogance and desire for power and success to his own ends. At the trial, Crawford skillfully exposes the prosecution and thus exposes Willy to ridicule. Not only does he get a lot of pressure from his new boss, but his new job is suddenly on the line. Nevertheless, Willy doesn't want to admit defeat and gets involved in a dangerous game of cat and mouse with Ted, during which he has to realize again and again that he has clearly underestimated his opponent.
Admittedly, the story of "The Perfect Crime" is full of small weaknesses and the ending is quite disappointing. Still, this film is one of the few cases where that doesn't weigh too negatively. Because the brilliant psycho duel between Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling alone makes this thriller absolutely worth watching. Hopkins thankfully doesn't cast his character as a mere variation of Hannibal Lecter, but instead infuses the madness with entirely new nuances. Condescending, humorously arrogant, and icily calculating, this is how Hopkins once again captivates the audience. As wonderful as he was as the lovable oddball in "With Heart and Hand", it's clear again here that Hopkins is simply still at his best as a villain!
As he did with "Zwielicht", which was Edward Norton's breakthrough role, director Gregory Hoblit has once again shown an extremely good hand in choosing a young counterpart. After all, Ryan Gosling ("Like a Single Day", "Stay") is without question one of the best actors of his generation. Not without reason was he nominated for an Oscar for his outstanding performance in the high school drama "Half Nelson", which unfortunately has not yet been released in this country. Gosling puts on the success-hungry young lawyer with a perfectly balanced mix of arrogant recklessness and ambitious obsession, making him a worthy foil for Hopkins' character.
The plot, in which the two actors get to duke it out, is solid thriller entertainment that makes use of many familiar set pieces but never really bores. Although the acting performances could have deserved a more original plot, Hoblit's sovereign direction consoles over this weak point. Therefore: for lovers of first-class thriller goods with small deductions definitely worth seeing!
Original title: Fracture
Director: Gregory Hoblit
Length: approx. 112 min.
FSK: age 12+
Ein Artikel von Frankfurt-Tipp
