Simply Perfect

One of the most extraordinary films you will see this year. Take that as you want.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

An intelligent Thriller, with such a great character from Anthony Hopkins you cannot help but admire him. A truly different type case where the client who represents himself is most certainly not a fool.Clever, calm, psychopathic, egotistical and on my favourites list

Willy Beachum (Ryan Gosling) is an Assistant D.A. with a 97% courtroom success rate. He attributes his success to being a hot-shot attorney but it must actually be because he only takes sure-fire cases-nothing else explains his success when viewed against his generally moronic conduct. Beachum, having earned his chops on the public dime is now ditching them for the private sector where he can make some real bucks, however, with a couple of weeks to kill he accepts one last open-and-shut case: the attempted murder by Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins) of his cheating wife. Police captured Crawford at the scene of the crime, they got the murder weapon and a signed confession yet, perversely, Crawford decides he will defend himself against the charges in court and Beachum finds himself being out-manoeuvred Will justice be served? Will you care? There are no surprises here.

(Flash Review)What would you do if you caught your significant other fooling around on the side? I bet it wouldn't be as intricate as what Hopkin's character does! Thus this film is cat and mouse to see if brilliant- minded Hopkins will he be able to get away with his revenge and if Gosling, the successful yet young trial lawyer, can uncover his true actions. The story held your attention despite dragging near the middle, was well acted, had some professional plot reveals yet overall wasn't memorable and moderately formulaic. That being said, it's a quality film for the genre with big name actors. Oh and there was an underdeveloped romantic angle that didn't pass the mustard.

Finally a courtroom drama-psychological thriller with some substance. Hopkins is Ted Crawford, a malevolent, clever guy who prefers homicide to divorce. Gosling is Willy Beachum, a smug young lawyer on his way to a bright career in the private sector who ends up playing a cat and mouse game he could do without.Crawford shots his wife Jennifer, because she has an affair with Lt. Nunally, and Homicide cop and then sets a crazy plan in motion. Jennifer ends up in a coma and the distraught Nunally sort of looses it.I am not a Gosling fan, but contrary to most other reviewers I found his character strangely endearing. Maybe because of his integrity, a quality so rarely seen in modern day movies' characters. Willy' s smugness is mitigated by his determinationWilly sees Jennifer as a victim, not as somebody who "had it coming" and visits her at the hospital, hoping for a miracle recovery.What I found disturbing are the comments about Crawford deserving to get away with murder because he is clever. Some people must still have a hard on for Hannibal Lecter or think that a woman deserves to die if she is unfaithful - which is worrying.There are a few plot holes, the biggest being the affair between Jennifer and Nunally. In fact, the whole movie stands on the premise that Nunally is blissfully ignorant about Jennifer's identity. I found it weird that a Homicide cop did not try to find out who is lover was. It is very unlikely cop behavior, since she could have been linked to terrorism or crime and cops like to investigate.Anyway, the pace is fast but not frantic, with some luscious settings that do not hurt the eye and witty dialogues. My favorite quote:"Maybe I can find some new evidence by tomorrow" "Where? Are you going to buy it at the evidence store?"