Returning from a five year absence, filmmaker David Fincher bestowed upon the world a great gift in the form of his police procedural mystery thriller Zodiac. Fincher and his crew assembled an all-star cast that plunged deep into their roles, and managed to simultaneously grasp the essence of the time period, the exhaustiveness of the case, and the terrifying ramifications of the killer's actions. It is based on two books by Robert Graysmith (Zodiac and Zodiac Unmasked), but Fincher, along with writer James Vanderbilt, traipsed through years and years of complicated paperwork, interviews, and dead ends to shape one of the 2007's most gripping films.
The story opens with a frighteningly merciless murder on a lovers' lane where the female dies, and the male survives. Soon enough, a letter is sent to the San Francisco Chronicle demanding that the newspaper print it and a cipher by specific date. The developments gain the attention of cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), whose interest in the case gradually builds. He works closely with newspaper writer Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), who fills his articles with conjectures and facts. Meanwhile the police leading the investigation are Detectives Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards). As the serial killer continues to pick off various people, they search every crime scene and follow every clue in hopes of apprehending the culprit. When time passes and he is not caught, Graysmith and Toschi become insanely obsessed with the case. As Graysmith compiles data for a book, he obtains information for what seems to be a definite suspect. His name is Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch), but the evidence against him is not strong enough.
As a person who was educated in criminal justice for more than six years, one facet of Zodiac stood out as exemplary. No film in recent memory so accurately captures the painstaking efforts needed, the aggravating processes, and the endless rules and regulations of law enforcement. This can be seen on the face of the central characters as they make pointless phone calls or question bogus tipsters. For instance, at one point Detective Bill Armstrong realizes just how difficult it will be to coordinate with all the police departments associated with the slayings. Jurisdictional guidelines are extremely tiring, but that is how legitimate cases unfold. It is long and strenuous. Zodiac steers away from all the typical clichés commonly found within this genre. It remains disciplined, impassive, and consistent.
Fincher also employs a technique which can be, and has been, abused in other films. At the bottom of the screen, small typewritten letters display dates, times, and places of the events. This was inserted for a reason. Fincher was making a statement about the length of this case, and how evidence and figures are collected over days, weeks, months, and years. Though these are irritatingly small, I suppose they were presented that way to avoid being a distraction, but more of a mental note on what the people were dealing with at the time. As if this was not satisfactory, viewers will notice the city of San Francisco changing steadily with the Transamerica building being erected, as well as the characters' families increasing in size.
Each member of this consummately accumulated cast appears to be born for their respective parts. Jake Gyllenhaal is a versatile actor, but his boyish charm is so naturally exposed as the dedicated Boy Scout (sorry, Eagle Scout) Robert Graysmith. Gyllenhaal is humorous and riveting, whether it is in the newspaper offices or at his home. Graysmith is a divorced father of one at the start of the film, and what is gratifying is that he is shown as not just an intrigued cartoonist, but also a concerned father and citizen. He is not merely a highlight of the motion picture experience; he is slice of this universe. Sometimes the focus is on him, but in other situations, he is just a subtle part of the background.
Robert Downey Jr. is turning in some of the best and most fascinating performances of his career lately. As Chronicle crime reporter Paul Avery, Downey Jr. is magnetically charged with his beard and black glasses as an alcoholic chain-smoking rebel writer. No, this is not a new persona for Downey Jr. to portray, but this is not a paper thin replication of any previous contribution either. Avery is a depressed individual, who was devoted and excelled at his job, but his flamboyance masks his inner demons. He sinks into a low seclusion, and Downey Jr. is spot on during every stage of his arc.
Detective Dave Toschi is played by Mark Ruffalo with startling pragmatism and genuine emotion. The real Toschi served as an advisor on this movie, and as it is stated, the distinctive style in which he wears his guns upside down was copied by Steve McQueen in Bullitt. He was also the role model of the fictional Dirty Harry character. Graysmith and Toschi attend the same showing of that movie in one scene. Ruffalo is a mixed bag in terms of what to expect from his abilities, but he proves under the tutelage of David Fincher, and Terry George in Reservation Road that he is capable of lifting even the heaviest weight of a depiction. He is the lead investigator and center of attention so everything falls on his lap. Ruffalo shares adroit chemistry with Anthony Edwards as Toschi's inconspicuous partner Bill Armstrong. Edwards, who really has not completed much since ER, is a terrific collaborator for Toschi.
The minor supporting team is comprised of an eclectic assortment of actors. Brian Cox never hesitates to choose the juicy small roles, and he is in prime form as Melvin Belli, the showy attorney. Chloe Sevigny has little to do, but is nonetheless outstanding where it counts as Melanie, Graysmith's wife who takes only so much as her husband makes Zodiac his priority in life. Donal Logue and Elias Koteas have marvelous parts as the Captains of the surrounding districts, Napa and Vallejo. Finally there is John Carroll Lynch, who is always fun to watch, and is simply eerie as Arthur Leigh Allen. Maybe he did it, and maybe not, but Lynch is smart in tackling this fragile part.
The case itself has just been reopened (according to Wikipedia), yet remains unsolved for the San Francisco Police Department. No conclusive evidence ever pinned down any suspect. Although this is cited as being adapted from Graysmith's books, Fincher and company no doubt shuffled through piles of research elsewhere to attain a neutral perspective. It has been said that Zodiac drifts to make us think a particular person was responsible for the killings. If one accuses Fincher and Vanderbilt of veering off the tracks to a certain theory, it is probably deliberate. Otherwise, this would be a documentary. I am sure you can locate plenty of those on the Zodiac murders.
Many have described Zodiac as a departure for David Fincher, but I would disagree. Perhaps in some ways it is, but if I had seen this without knowing the director, I would still guess Fincher. His customary effects trimmings are not punctuated as potently. However, that same inimitable tension has not diminished, nor has his gritty and dark camera style. No one films the night time better...period. Aside from Alien 3, I cannot think of one Fincher offering that disappointed. The Game and Se7en are my favorites. He is a master general who should be given more credit. With luck, the Academy will not forget Zodiac because despite the release date, this is as worthy a contender as any this year. Fincher's cat-and-mouse game is not a standard by-the-numbers thriller. This was constructed to be both accurate and cinematic, and Fincher knew full well what he was getting into by concentrating on the facts instead of bogus action.
This is a David Fincher who wanted to keep the audience on the edge of their seat, while faithfully recreating the case from the ground up. The structure is indeed jumpy, but again, isn't that the point? Cases are not cut and dry, and if you have little patience for this tactic then that is a shame. The organization utilized augments the ambiance, and heightened the level that the performers had to achieve. A few sequences stand out. One has Robert Graysmith following a lead to a mysterious man's home. As he stands in the basement waiting for a sole piece of information, the boards creek above him, and the hearts of each viewer begin pounding solidly. Another is the encounter one couple has with the Zodiac at a lake. The incomparable suspense swallows you as the hooded psycho stabs his victims.
Three people deserve applause for the coarse, restrained, and controlled recreation of the late 1960's and 1970's atmosphere. Production Designer Donald Graham Burt, Art Director Keith P. Cunningham, and Set Decorator Victor J. Zolfo have manufactured some of the most stunningly authentic sets of this decade from the common houses to the newspaper room and the police station. Worth singling out as well is the editing of Angus Wall, who magnificently gathered all the footage without making it patchy. Casey Storm's suave and exact costume design amplified the care put forth for the picture. The cinematography of Harris Savides evokes the beauty and terror enveloping San Francisco as the scenario slowly unravels. His shots contain an agile determination. Any similarities to All the President's Men or The Conversation are not coincidental thanks to the superb scoring of David Shire, who also did those films. In addition, Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy man" and Vanilla Fudge's "Bang Bang" are imposingly integrated.
Zodiac is not a whodunit mystery with a twist at its core. Director David Fincher stripped the routine aspects of this genre bare, and refrained from exploiting or exaggerating the substance. Upon viewing this for a second time, my admiration for its genius increased. This is a "Director's Cut" version, but the difference in running time is all of five minutes. Whatever changes were made are hard to spot. Screenwriter James Vanderbilt should be commended for incorporating the the whole nine yards in his script. He handed Fincher a sophisticated and breathtaking account of a media manipulating killer with no pattern. This is an immobilizing spellbinder about men driven to the brim that transcends all expectations. It is certain to be found of countless top 10 lists for 2007.
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