Friday, March 09, 2007
Zodiac
Last night I had the pleasure of seeing the movie Zodiac. It was one of the more gripping and interesting movies i've seen in a long time and well worth the over 2 1/2 hour length. The film tells the story of the investigation of the Zodiac killer who haunted California for a decade. The focus of the story is on San Fran. Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith who immediately took an interest in the case and was obsessed with finding the identity of the Zodiac Killer. Graysmith was excellently portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal who gave an almost Dustin Hoffman in Rain Man quality to the role. I don't know if the real life Graysmith was that awkward in person but the determination that he showed in wanting to crack the case was portrayed in a very straightforward and compelling manner.
The story also touches on the police investigation led by Inspector David Toschi who's played by Mark Ruffalo. I have never seen any of Ruffalo's work but I thought he was excellent as the inspector and the portrayal of Toschi seemingly finding the killer and looking for the one piece of evidence that would prove it was spellbinding. At times the police side of the film reminded me a lot of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Anthony Edwards was along for the ride as Toschi's partner Inspector Armstrong and seeing him I couldn't help but notice that Edwards looked and acted a LOT like Kevin Costner. I wonder if Costner was younger if he would've been up for that role.
There are lots of other familiar faces in the film including Robert Downey Jr. and Philip Baker Hall to name a few. So while this film had a lot of familiar faces it was truly grounded in reality. Director David Fincher was careful in presenting the full facts without flash but still being entertaining and interesting enough for the viewer. I especially loved the authenticity of the film in terms of the cars, homes, clothes of the period. Heck, Fincher was so into the details that the movie started with the old late 60s Paramount Gulf+Western logo! Despite the running time the film was pretty tight and the acting was superb. I recommend this highly to any fans of true crime and well crafted drama.
The story also touches on the police investigation led by Inspector David Toschi who's played by Mark Ruffalo. I have never seen any of Ruffalo's work but I thought he was excellent as the inspector and the portrayal of Toschi seemingly finding the killer and looking for the one piece of evidence that would prove it was spellbinding. At times the police side of the film reminded me a lot of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. Anthony Edwards was along for the ride as Toschi's partner Inspector Armstrong and seeing him I couldn't help but notice that Edwards looked and acted a LOT like Kevin Costner. I wonder if Costner was younger if he would've been up for that role.
There are lots of other familiar faces in the film including Robert Downey Jr. and Philip Baker Hall to name a few. So while this film had a lot of familiar faces it was truly grounded in reality. Director David Fincher was careful in presenting the full facts without flash but still being entertaining and interesting enough for the viewer. I especially loved the authenticity of the film in terms of the cars, homes, clothes of the period. Heck, Fincher was so into the details that the movie started with the old late 60s Paramount Gulf+Western logo! Despite the running time the film was pretty tight and the acting was superb. I recommend this highly to any fans of true crime and well crafted drama.
Labels: Movies
