Another Work of Art by Fincher

Rating: 10/10 (6 September 2010)

I love David Fincher, I really do. I have never been disappointed by a film he made.
I only heard a negative review about this movie, so in watching it I was a little skeptical. The bad review basically criticized its length, but I only believe that could be a problem if the viewer is not lending their full attention to the film. Yes, it's long-but yes, it's high quality stuff, so it doesn't matter. It's genuinely interesting. Not only does it show the legitimate processes of detectives in pursuit of a serial killer, but it shows the lives behind the pursuit. It shows the children of, the marriages of the police officers and the reporters. It gives insight to an aspect of crime that you can't find in real life unless you're a police officer or a reporter yourself. The characters, based upon real people, are just that: real. It's refreshing. There was not one actor that I was disappointed in, not one person presenting amateur acting to disrupt the illusion.
The plot was interesting, of course, as all films searching for a serial killer are. It was frustrating at the same time, not knowing who it was, but that's characteristic of all films in this genre. Not a complaint, just an observation. It wasn't tiring, it didn't drag on. Although there were frequent disappointments in the story (not in the telling, just the actual happening), but I didn't feel them because Fincher is so good. The way that he told this story was brilliant. This is not a waste of 2+ hours, this is full of information regarding a true and unsolved crime. It's actually educational.
Visually, it was beautiful. Fincher got beautiful shots, beautiful angles, beautiful colors, as always. Even if you don't like the actors, the story, the dialogue, you can still like the movie because it's just really nice to look at. Fincher also controls which emotions he wants to evoke, which is great. He's successful in it. If he wants to get you scared, he will. If he wants you to laugh, be disappointed, frustrated, he will. He is excellent.
I was very satisfied with this film. It was informative, interesting, disturbing, and the conclusion wasn't awful or anything. It was a good ending, honestly. I want to buy this movie.