A Fine Adaptation of the Book!

Rating: 8/10 (15 March 2012)

Jake Gyllenhall does an admirable job in playing Robert Graysmith, a San Francisco cartoonist, for the San Francisco Chronicle as the Zodiac Killer becomes known in 1969 and through the 1970s. The Zodiac killer's identity has eluded police even those like Graysmith who become obsessed with the case even risking his marriage and his relationship with his young children. Robert Downey Jr. played Paul Avery, the reporter, in a suitable performance. The rest of the cast is first rate with Chloe Sevigny playing Melanie Graysmith;Dermot Mulroney as a cop; John Carroll Lynch as Lee; and others. The Zodiac story still has eluded police to this day but the story is a fascinating part of history. The victims aren't forgotten but the Zodiac's prime suspect has disappointing results. Despite it all, the Zodiac still eludes us to this day. Who was he and why did he do it? More important was his relationship with the press and the police. He seemed to enjoy toying with them. While I read Graysmith's book on Zodiac, this film does a decent job in recreating historic events in the Zodiac crimes to detail. Maybe I have forgotten some of Graysmith's details but I'll never forget that the Zodiac is still playing games even from beyond the grave.