Review: Fracture

02 April 2004
By NICKI HARPER

***1/2

Part thriller, part slice-of-life, the new Kiwi release, Fracture, takes us on a journey into one man's crime and how it changes the lives of more people than he could have imagined.

Adapted by director Larry Parr from Maurice Gee's 1994 book Crime Story, the film is set in Wellington and follows the fate of two families unwittingly bound together through the exploits of central character Brent Rosser--played by newcomer Jared Turner.

A petty thief who poses as a bible salesman to get entry to people's homes, he is interrupted one day while stealing from well-to-do Ulla Athol (Jennifer Ward-Lealand).

Panicked, he kicks her down the stairs and runs from the house, only to later realise he left fingerprints on the handrails and must now play cat and mouse with the police who are on his trail.

Meanwhile, his sister Leeanne (Kate Elliott) is struggling to cope as a solo mother, shunned by her bible bashing mother (Miranda Harcourt) for having the baby out of wedlock.

To make matters worse, her flatmate has moved out leaving Kate in the lurch to deal with the obnoxious bogan boyfriend who decides Leeanne is now his property and begins a campaign of intimidation.

Leeanne turns to her brother for help but finds him in a spiral of decline, after having made things worse for himself by murdering the gypsy-like woman who he has been selling the stolen goods to.

Throughout, Ulla Athol, now diagnosed a quadriplegic, lies in hospital and we witness the interplay of her ex-husband's (Michael Hurst) family--including the dodgy business dealing brother and wealthy wheeler-dealer father (John Noble) who are all coming to terms with their life choices and finding that blood truly is thicker than water--even under extreme pressure.

A study of family dynamics--Fracture is gritty and unadorned, but sympathetic and sometimes funny in its portrayal of the hardships and disappointments in life.

It manages also to pay homage to the power of determination and hope--especially through the character of Leeanne who manages to keep it together while the lives of the people around her unravel.

Involved in the production of icon NZ movies such as Came a Hot Friday and Smash Palace, Larry Parr has this time directed another quintessentially Kiwi tale that will resonate with New Zealand audiences.

* Directed by Larry Parr, produced by Charlie McClellan. Cast also includes John Noble (Denethor in The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King), Cliff Curtis (Training Day, Blow, Whale Rider), Liddy Holloway, Alicia Fulford-Wierzbicki (Rain), and Alistair Browning (Rain).

* Fracture is due to open in New Zealand cinemas in August.