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entertaining u newspaper: your weekly guide to entertainment
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In The Land of Women
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by rick grant
rickgrant01@comcast.net
B+ Rated R 115 min.
In this intricately-woven mystery scenario, Ryan Gosling portrays a young cocky assistant DA, Willy Beachum, who has a 97 % conviction rate. Beachum is courted by a big prestigious law firm, with which he has accepted a position. In his last two weeks on the job as a prosecutor, Beachum catches a seemingly open-and-shut-case to prosecute before he leaves for his new job.
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So, all he has to do is dispatch this last case. A wealthy design engineer, Ted Crawford (Anthony Hopkins), shot his cheating wife in the head. She lived but is in a deep coma. Crawford signed a written confession. Ah yes, it would be a slam dunk (Yeah, like O.J.). However, the gun the police retrieved from Crawford’s house had never been fired. Still, they had the confession, but Beachum wanted the gun to seal the attempted murder case against Crawford.
It turns out that Crawford is a devious and brilliant man who sets up Beachum with a web of technicalities. Soon a judge throws out the confession and Crawford, who is representing himself, partitions the court to dismiss the charges against him for insufficient evidence. A judge gives Beachum a little more time to find further evidence. Without the confession or the gun, Beachum’s case dissolves. Yes, Crawford is getting under Beachum’s skin with his manipulation of the legal system–making him look like a fool.
Up until Crawford pulled his legal maneuvers, Beachum was thinking more about his new job. Now he must concentrate on this case or be humiliated by this sinister jerk Crawford. Police detectives search in vain for the gun. Then Beachum learns that the lead detective on the case, Lt. Rob Nunally (Billy Burke), had been having an affair with Crawford’s wife. Ah, the plot thickens. With no gun and no confession, Crawford will walk.
Gregory Hoblit directed this puzzling scenario skillfully written by Daniel Pyne. The scenario depends on a big twist or gimmick, that, when revealed, changes everything. Viewers must watch for the subtle tells through the film to find their way out of this maze of Crawford’s deceptions. The big twist is so complicated not many viewers will figure it out, which is okay. It comes down like a hammer, forcing the viewer to rethink the entire scenario.
Interestingly, Crawford’s field of engineering expertise is fracture mechanics, which enables him to figure out technicalities in his attempted murder case. Crawford’s analytical mind helps him construct what he thinks is the perfect crime. He then matches wits with Beachum’s calculating mind. The story becomes an intellectual duel with Beachum’s reputation at stake and Crawford’s freedom pending. It’s a shootout of two quick minds.
By now, Beachum has put his career with the law firm on hold. He is determined to win this case. He couldn’t stop thinking about what happened to the gun Crawford used to shoot his wife. It plays on his mind. Then, a chance happening causes him to have an epiphany and the lost parts of the puzzle are found and put into place. Crawford thinks he has gotten away with attempted murder, but Beachum is in the background laying the groundwork for Crawford’s downfall.
In this movie, Gosling, who stretched his acting chops as a strung out junkie teacher in Half Nelson, again shows his considerable acting skill in this film. Gosling is a method actor who imbued Beachum with subtle nuances and facial expressions. Hopkins plays the villainous foil–Beachum’s nemesis. Both characters learn to respect each other’s skills, and, like Crawford, Beachum has much at stake in this case. Just when one thinks that Crawford out-maneuvers Beachum, the big twist hook is set into Crawford’s psyche.
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