The Most Dangerous Game

Rating: 8/10 (3 March 2007)

Greetings again from the darkness. Based on the true story of the 25 year search for the Zodiac killer ... a serial killer who's multiple homicide's (somewhere between 13-51) remain unsolved. The source material for the film is the book "Zodiac Unmasked" by Robert Graysmith portrayed by Jake Gyllenhaal.
Despite common knowledge that the case remains unsolved, director David Fincher ("Fight Club", "Seven") creates a good deal of suspense and captures the frustration of those who spent years chasing this monster. The lead detectives are played by Anthony Edwards and Mark Ruffalo. Other key law enforcement officials are played by Donal Logue, Elias Koteas and Dermot Mulroney. Brian Cox and Philip Baker Hall have key support roles and the great Chloe Sevigny is cast as Gyllenhaal's wife. I must mention the single scene featuring Clea Duvall as an inmate with some insight. Always nice to see her work. In a very interesting selection, the main suspect (Arthur Lee Allen) is played by John Carroll Lynch, the gentle husband in "Fargo".
The film has a couple of confusing moments or loose ends ... such as the entire sequence when Gyllenhaal interviews the former movie theatre manager. However, I would compare the film to "All The President's Men" in its structure of presenting the investigation of the mystery. Robert Downey, Jr. is once again remarkable, this time as the lead San Francisco Chronicle reporter who is threatened by Zodiac. Downey's subsequent breakdown is realistic and painful.
Although not much humor exists in the film, I couldn't help but chuckle as Gyllenhaal and Ruffalo are trading ideas in a late night café. You couldn't find two actors with bigger puppy dog eyes than these two! Still, it doesn't ruin the intensity and Fincher does a great job at capturing the desperation of Ruffalo and Gyllenhaal throughout the film ... as each of their lives begin to crumble.
Justice can be a very complicated manner, but I believe Graysmith feels that his final connection with the main suspect was all he needed to complete his story and put his mind at ease. The man was not locked up, but the mystery was now unlocked. For those who enjoy the investigative side of crime, this one is definitely worth seeing. Two interesting notes ... the soundtrack contains an almost overwhelming number of period songs, and don't miss the cameo from Ione Skye, who's father Donovan's "Hurdy Gurdy Man" has a key role on the soundtrack.