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*just a heads up, some light spoilers in here*
Zodiac (Fincher, 2007)
Is there really anybody better to cover the story of these unsolved slayings than David Fincher? We know he’s got style ala Fight Club. We know he’s got a well-toned knowledge of the subject matter ala Se7en. The dude clearly knows what he’s doing and his interest transcends into this film well.
We open with a lovingly shot scene of July 4th, 1969; the second Zodiac murder. The perpetrator quickly sends encrypted notes to local newspapers taking credit for the acts. This includes the San Fransisco Chronicle where we meet Avery (Downey Jr.) and Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). Their chemistry flows great with Downey being the cocky but likeable man he’s had locked down since his renaissance and Gyllenhaal transforming from a “boy scout” to letting his obsession catch the better of him..
Partners Toschi (Ruffalo) and Armstrong (Edwards) soon get tasked on finding out who the Zodiac is. Ruffalo has always been competent, even if I don’t necessarily like the movie he’s in, his presence never hinders it. While they never “find” the killer, Fincher all but puts a giant red arrow next to John Carroll Lynch’s terrifyingly calm performance saying “HEY HERE IT IS THIS IS THE GUY!!!”
My chief problem with Zodiac, is that there simply isn’t more Zodiac. This might come off as an odd statement due to the 2 and 1/2 hour runtime, but this would have benefitted from being a miniseries more than anything. What there is of the script is paced well and breeds a certain amount of anxiety, but it ultimately feels like two films pressed into one. Fincher wants to tell everything, and I would have loved to watch more of it.
I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow-moving open-ended mystery across beautiful California landscapes. Give it some time and it’ll be a true crime classic.
Zodiac (Fincher, 2007)
Is there really anybody better to cover the story of these unsolved slayings than David Fincher? We know he’s got style ala Fight Club. We know he’s got a well-toned knowledge of the subject matter ala Se7en. The dude clearly knows what he’s doing and his interest transcends into this film well.
We open with a lovingly shot scene of July 4th, 1969; the second Zodiac murder. The perpetrator quickly sends encrypted notes to local newspapers taking credit for the acts. This includes the San Fransisco Chronicle where we meet Avery (Downey Jr.) and Graysmith (Gyllenhaal). Their chemistry flows great with Downey being the cocky but likeable man he’s had locked down since his renaissance and Gyllenhaal transforming from a “boy scout” to letting his obsession catch the better of him..
Partners Toschi (Ruffalo) and Armstrong (Edwards) soon get tasked on finding out who the Zodiac is. Ruffalo has always been competent, even if I don’t necessarily like the movie he’s in, his presence never hinders it. While they never “find” the killer, Fincher all but puts a giant red arrow next to John Carroll Lynch’s terrifyingly calm performance saying “HEY HERE IT IS THIS IS THE GUY!!!”
My chief problem with Zodiac, is that there simply isn’t more Zodiac. This might come off as an odd statement due to the 2 and 1/2 hour runtime, but this would have benefitted from being a miniseries more than anything. What there is of the script is paced well and breeds a certain amount of anxiety, but it ultimately feels like two films pressed into one. Fincher wants to tell everything, and I would have loved to watch more of it.
I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who loves a good slow-moving open-ended mystery across beautiful California landscapes. Give it some time and it’ll be a true crime classic.