Zodiac

Crime dramas have filled our theatres for decades. What makes these films successful is when they bring new elements to the audience. Much like Without a Trace is to its predecessor Law and Order, Director David Fincher’s film brings new elements to the crime drama we’re otherwise all accustomed to. In 1995, Fischer began his career in psychological crime drama with his award winning film Se7en. He takes a new stab (forgive the pun) at his newest psychological thriller, Zodiac.

Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) is a cartoonist for a respected San Francisco newspaper. His life becomes entangled as his curiosity draws him closer and closer to an unsolved murder mystery that spans decades. His obsession to help authorities oversteps his responsibilities at the paper, and begins to place enormous pressure on his family life. The Zodiac, self named, desires press exposure, and forces a cat-and-mouse game between the police, the killer, and the reporters whose lives are torn in the wake.

Based on the real events, and book written by Robert Graysmith, this story spans nearly 26 years, and details the strange case of the serial killer named the Zodiac. The director, though, has been known for his artistic ability to bring a creative edge to a somewhat ‘usual’ story. Similar to the pace of Se7en, the story isn’t driven by non-stop action. The stress and pressure on the audience comes from the psychological breakdown of the characters during the years they dedicate to finding the killer. Time passing in the story starts out natural, but eventually become a strong impact in the story: hours of the case turn to days, turn to weeks, turn to months and years.

And to execute this well written story is a wonderfully selected cast. They bring years of experience and skill to a cluster of diverse characters, helping to paint a picture of an aging city with a looming and unsolved mystery. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers a strong performance, though nothing to write our friend Oscar about. He brings a fresh form of acting to an otherwise very established cast. Coupled with the eccentric and skilled Robert Downey Jr., the duo brings humor, pain, and struggle to an increasingly tense story. Mark Ruffalo (Inspector David Toschi) and Anthony Edwards (Inspector William Armstrong), bring a powerful and full performance, further placing pressure on the audience with their breakdowns. I’ve said it before, and I will continue as long as necessary: a diverse and skilled cast, coupled with good writing will always be a perfect recipe for a good story.

Lastly, David Fincher brings his film noir back to the screen with his dirty depiction of the crime drama. Much like his previous hit Se7en, many scenes take place in dark offices, close quarter car interiors, and over lunch at small restaurants. The atmosphere created fits perfectly with the story, and the characters. Fincher skillfully created the world in which this story must take place. With all elements together, a good film is created.

Its one spot of trouble is the length of the film. Due to the complexity of the story, the accuracy and detail brought by director and writer, and the story spanning over 25 years, the film takes a massive 160 minutes. Recently, dramas in contemporary film have clocked in at an average of 85~120 minutes. When films dip into that second hour, a specific audience tends to check out of the film. Pushing over 2 and a half hours, this film does begin to test the limits of its audience. However, the strength of the cast and director tend to make up for otherwise long excerpts of a possibly paraphrased scene.

Check it out if you’ve got the time and strength. The murders are somewhat graphic, and the development of the story takes time. Overall, however, it seems to me that this film will do well in the box offices, and will be received well in the resume of Fincher, Gyllenhaal, Downey Jr., and the rest. 7.25 of 10.