Historical accuracy and standout performances

Rating: 10/10 (4 March 2007)

I absolutely loved this movie. I have followed this case with some interest for years and the attention to detail and accuracy was magnificent. Standout performances by Jake Gyllenhaal, Anthony Edwards (although I have trouble separating him from Dr. Green) and Robert Downey Jr. should be noted, as well as by Mark Ruffalo (an actor with whom I was not familiar). I appreciated the fact that not once does the movie descend into melodrama. Some of the early scenes are graphic and grisly, however, anything less would be to soft-pedal the horror. Although the major events occurred in the 1968-1972 time frame, work continues on this case, to this day. Recently, a partial DNA profile was obtained from one of the envelopes the killer sent. Running 2 hours and 40 minutes, the "updates" are relegated to text in the trailer. Interesting, almost everyone in the theater stayed to read every word.