Ten Stars or Less

I may be about 11 years late to the party, but what a kick ass party I missed. Anthony Hopkins, a wise law-abiding citizen, goes head to head in the court room with a blood thirsty Ryan Gosling, who cares more about winning and losing than actually practicing law. I was clueless to pretty much everything that unfolded, so as the cards were being flipped one after one, I was heavily invested in what was on the other side. Hopkins will be remembered for far better roles, but if I had to make a top five list, this would be in it. Sly and clever are words to describe his performance, but arrogance was his down fall. Gosling meanwhile fit the part of a handsome young attorney looking to do whatever he could win and find a new job. The supporting cast here is just as superb with Rosamund Pike, Billy Burke, and David Strathairn. Together they all get played and it’s so intriguing to see considering the knowledge and power among them all. The ending is fitting for the story, but one has to wonder how things could have played out if a picture didn’t get noticed or new evidence wasn’t produced. 8/10