A light psychological thriller that works better on a technical level than a thematic or character-centric one.

At no moment does this stop feeling like an especially glossy and especially joyless episode of Law and Order.

It's straightforward and nongimmicky (you don't have to wonder whodunit because we're told in the first few minutes), involves a minimum of blood and gore, and holds our interest nicely.

It's occasionally quite witty, it's able to tell us a great deal about its characters and their back stories in an economic fashion and its plot swings are surprising and compelling.

Even if you don't leave the movie entirely satisfied, you won't have had a bad time, either.

It's so well written and well acted you hope Fracture holds up all the way, but problems develop.

Ethics, morals and the will to win are the core issues of Fracture, a gripping puzzle of a thriller that plays out as a mind game between two men

A strong cast and smart-talking characters help elevate this into very watchable territory, with just enough suspense and style to win through.

Not since Lecter has a role been this well suited to Hopkins, whose intelligence and pristine formality as an actor often make him seem alien.

The main draw, of course, is watching Hopkins and Gosling go head-to-head. And both are more than up to the challenge.