This has all the ingredients of a classic crime drama - a great cast, some slick writing and a healthy dose of suspense. Sir Anthony Hopkins as the meticulously fiendish aeronautics engineer/millionaire ("Crawford") who discovers his wife is up to some mischief and so takes matters into his own hands (or does he?). Ryan Gosling ("Willy Beachum") is the sloppy and complacent prosecution attorney with his eyes on a big, private sector, promotion away from the district attorney's office so is initially easy prey in this sophisticated game of manipulation/counter manipulation. When he begins to cotton on that he's being played, then the rest of the plot makes for a really enthralling, tensely written and deviously plausible story. We are never in doubt as to who did what - but can they get away with it? That's the million dollar question in this well crafted battle of wits. Well worth watching.
