ZODIAC Film Review - 22/4/07

Seeing David Fincher's name attached to this guaranteed me watching it after seeing "Seven", "Fight Club" and "The Panic Room". Sketching out a very low-key and restrained version of events about the notorious Zodiac killings in the States in the late 1960/1970's period we follow the main people involved in the story from both the Newspaper side and the side of the Police with not only a top notch main cast but some excellent side-performances from the supporting cast as well. Jake Gyllenhaal plays the lead with a show of sheer desperation as his literal obsession destroys everything around him in his pursuit of the truth and Robert Downey Jr. goes overboard as he crashes and burns as the reporter who can't quite make it all stick. Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards both pursue the likeliest suspect but also can't get the pieces together enough to pull off a conviction - But the finger does point somewhere in this true-life unsolved batch of killings. Fincher's trademarks are clearly seen in this production with rain-drenched scenes and pictures bleached grey of all colour. Not a spot on any of his previous work's but a good re-creation of the period and the fear that was felt at the time over these murders.