Good performances in good but not great crime thriller

Rating: 7/10 (3 June 2008)

Jake Gyllenhaal (Donnie Darko) stars as cartoonist Robert Graysmith, a man who gets himself wrapped up, along with many others, in the horrendous happenings of a serial killer, a killer who calls himself Zodiac.
Based on a true story in the late 60's and 70's, David Fincher (Fight Club) delivers a tense and intriguing plot revolving around a cartoonist, a journalist and many police offices, in which lies an interesting and sentimental ideology.
Gyllenhaal's cartoonist is quiet and sophisticated, Downey's journalist is clever and aware and Ruffalo's detective is demanding and hurting, and these characters and different personalities give the plot depth and a good foundation.
From the first excellent opening sequence involving the first murder I knew it was going to be an intense watch. The first half of the film is excellent in justifying the mystery and crime genre with the killer being kept well in the shadows and no one not knowing much about it.
Having never actually heard about the real killer in real life, I found it interesting to see how this film went about portraying a real life murderer and was very gripping. However, as the film carries on the intensity wears away and instead focuses more upon the lives of the cartoonist, the journalist and the detective, which is fair enough, but I would have personally liked to see a more intense and gripping second half.
I found the ending quite poor. I know it is based on a true story and everything but still perhaps the ending could have been shot differently to give the film that extra edge.
The performances are excellent. Gyllenhaal was a bit quieter than his better roles in Brokeback Mountain and Donnie Darko but Downey and Ruffalo are on top form in their respective roles.
The direction and settings are great as is the first half of the film. However as the film hits the half way point the interest and intensity die away as the film becomes less realistic and almost irrelevant but regardless, it is still a good crime drama.