Unenlightened Shadows Cast

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2010)

"Based on the true story of the notorious serial killer and the intense manhunt he inspired, 'Zodiac' is a superbly crafted thriller from the director of 'Se7en' and 'Panic Room'. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast led by Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Chloe Sevigny, 'Zodiac' is a searing and singularly haunting examination of twin obsessions: one man's desire to kill and another's quest for the truth," according to the film's description. Highlight "superbly crafted" and "outstanding ensemble."
Screenwriter James Vanderbilt does a great job scripting the original material from the true account books authored by "San Francisco Chronicle" cartoonist Robert Graysmith, who turned himself into a long-suffering chief investigator in the unsolved "Zodiac" case. Possibly, the film's one main weakness is that it hesitates in offering a satisfactory conclusion; the thesis points in one direction, with strong circumstantial evidence (many cases have nothing but), and re-opens the case with wordy end notes.
The performances are uniformly excellent, with Mr. Gyllenhaal always clearly in the lead, playing the fresh-faced political cartoonist fascinated by the dark killer; it is his character's story, after all. The main supporting actors are police investigator Mark Ruffalo (as Dave Toschi) and newspaperman Robert Downey Jr. (as Paul Avery). These three men approach the "Zodiac" killer from different angles, and could be counted among his secondary victims; they lose (unequal) parts of their lives while questing the beast.
Most valuable player is clearly versatile director David Fincher, who knows the precise style with which to deliver the otherwise unappealing narrative; with a perfect cast and crew, Mr. Fincher steadily builds interest. This is one of 2007's best productions, and Fincher most deserved some "Best Director" notice; in hindsight, his work will marked up. Also outstanding are photographer Harris Savides and composer David Shire, with Three Dog Night's "Easy to Be Hard" leading a series of timely music cues.
********* Zodiac (3/2/07) David Fincher ~ Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downey Jr., John Carroll Lynch