Zodiac

Rating: 8/10 (2 March 2007)

I think it would be helpful before viewing this movie to have read Mr. Graysmith's two books chronicling the attempted detection of an allusive almost, at times, invisible sadistic serial killer. Mr. Fincher's intention is to purposely and deliberatley inundate you with facts, figures, and theories to tease the brain and give the audience the exact schizophrenic fact-finding frame of mind the real-life detectives had while tracking the thousands of suspects, the myriad of letters and copycat letters, basically, a forest of information that left them completely confused and bewildered as to detecting the real identity of Zodiac. In Mr. Graysmith's book, he basically leads the reader to believe that all the evidenece combined pinpoints to Arthur Leigh Allen, most of the evidence is circumstantial, but certainly compelling. And if Zodiac didn't kill in obscure jurisdictional boundaries throughout California, maybe the evidence would have been even more certain. I'm suspecting that this move is going to focus and highlight a lot of the mass confusion, paranoia, and anxiety during Zodiac multi-decade reign of terror. What we also have to realize is that this movie is based on real events. This is not a elaborate visual stunning fiction, like Fight Club, Panic Room, The Game, and Se7en, so there is definitely going to be more emphasis on complicated plot lines to capture the effect of the multiple perspectives that plagued the Zodiac hunt. I'll expect multiple plots, sub-plots, and thematic/character complications, not in a bad way, that dazzle the mind and force you to think about this movie as a detective searching for a serial killer might. I expect to become absolutely hypnotized by the plot, and the usual dank dark visuals from Mr. Fincher. Can't wait to see it, going tonight.