ZODIAC - Review

Zodiac

Mystery/Thriller, 2007

Directed by David

Starring 
Jake Gyllenhaal as Robert Graysmith
Mark Ruffalo as Inspector David Toschi
Robert Downey Jr. as Paul Avery
Chloë Sevigny as Melanie Graysmith
Anthony Edwards as Inspector William Armstrong
John Carroll Lynch as Arthur Leigh Allen


While many serial killer films use bloody violence to drive the story forward, Zodiac is all about great performances and an excellent script. Not to say that there isn't a little bit of violence, which is actually pretty tame as far as serial killer films can go.
Based on the actual Zodiac killings in the late 60s and early 70s, the story follows the obsession of Robert Graysmith, a political cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle, as he attempts to solve the mystery. In the police department, Inspectors David Toschi and William Armstrong work to solve the mystery as well. Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal both have exceptional performances. The film is almost completely driven by tense dialogue, and the script is great. There are no action sequences of any kind.
Fincher's ever present sense of style is perfect for this sort of film. The entire movie is shrouded in darkness. The film is actually very quiet and tame. The movie is a combination of police procedural and  investigative journalism, an unusual,but perfect combination for this sort of material.
Zodiac isn't just an exceptional movie, but it's also a pretty disturbing story as well. The film is based on real events, which, when you think about it, takes the whole experience to another level.

Memorable Quote - 
Robert Graysmith: "I... I need to know who he is. I... I need to stand there, I need to look him in the eye and I need to know that it's him."

On the Upside - Great acting, great script, great sense of style.

On the Downside - Can feel a little bit lengthy, running at 2 hours and 40 minutes. A few details might get lost in the dense story.

Score - 9.5/10