Review of Zodiac (2007) by Andrewk. — 07 Apr 2007

A great film from Fincher. No, it does not have the stylistic cinematography of some of his other films. But I believe that he uses whatever style is appropriate to the topic. This film does have a few really cool shots, specifically the tracking shot from above on the taxi cab, and the shot on the Golden Gate bridge.

Jake Gyllenhaal is perfect for his part. He has always been a natural for the wide-eyed, innocent youth, while not being boring or cliche. Mark Ruffalo gave the other standout performance in this piece.

I liked Robert Downey Jr, but I can't help feeling that this is the same part that he always plays now. And why does someone in recovery constantly play characters that are using? The story itself is captivating, especially for one, like myself, who is completely unfamiliar with the story.

I was not even aware of the Dirty Harry connection as I have never seen the film. So that was another interesting tidbit. I loved the muted color tones that made one feel like one was back in the 60's/70's.

I find it strange that people complain about wasting half an hour "pursuing a lead that goes nowhere." That lead, if I understand correctly, is the same man that most people believe to have been the actual Zodiac killer, as we discover by the end of the film.

The violence was played down, except for one or two scenes that were truly terrifying. I didn't mind that we were focusing on Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) rather than someone else, as he's the only one who never gave up on trying to put it all together.

He wrote the book, and it only seems logical to follow his voyage through the events. Many solid performances from character actors in small rolls, namely Brian Cox and Philip Baker Hall. I never felt like the film was too long.

It kept me hooked the entire time. Maybe some people have a shorter attention span or maybe it's just not their cup of tea. Also, one should not expect a director to go on making the exact same type of movie throughout his/her career.

A director, in fact, any artist, needs to grow and explore new directions. I applaud Fincher for giving this story the exact direction that it required: nothing over the top, with an underlying tension and unease throughout the entire film.