Zodiac (2007) Review

Zodiac (2007)

Dir. David Fincher – 162 minutes (Directors Cut)

Mark Ruffalo, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr

As a follower of the Zodiac case for many years I was really looking forward to this , and having picked it up on BluRay and having almost 3 hours to spare , I decided to watch this Directors Cut edition.

Starting in the late 1960’s we have the infamous case of the serial killer Zodiac and how it affects the lives of the main three characters (Gyllenhaal,Downey Jr and Ruffalo).

Jake Gyllenhaal plays Robert Graysmith a somewhat intense and bookish cartoonist working at the San Francisco Chronicle at the time when the Zodiac killer begins. He becomes increasingly fascinated and involved in the case thanks to his working relationship with news journalist Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr).

Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and his partner William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards – Revenge of the Nerds) , spend the following years chasing leads and dead-end enquiries with various suspects but no firm evidence.

As the years pass and the deaths mount Graysmith becomes more infatuated with Zodiac , Avery hit’s the bottle and Toschi becomes increasingly frustrated by the lack of any progress.

This is such a simple premise , a killer is at large and taunting the police and press with letters and cyphers that may hold clues to his identity. But the acting and direction is astounding , you just can’t take your eyes off the screen as the tension mounts and the various characters struggle with their demons as the case drags out over the years.

Director David Fincher who has previously directed Se7en and Fight Club takes a total change of pace here in what is a sprawling film with little character development and set over three decades. There is so much information to get across and that Fincher manages this is a true testament to the mans talent.

If you like a deep , extensive crime thriller then this is for you. Its slow paced and almost agoraphobic at times yet thrilling , chilling and deeply disturbing.

I totally fell in love with this, and I would really recommend getting the BluRay as it is crammed full of extras.

I could go on and on about Zodiac but really want to leave all the twists and turns for people to come across and enjoy.

A true classic 9/10