Great cast, great drama, great movie

Rating: 8/10 (4 May 2009)

One of the most famous serial killer mysteries of all time gets the big-budget Hollywood treatment. And director David Fincher does a magnificent job in bringing this fascinating story to the screen. From its shocking, bloody beginning all the way to its conclusion more than two and a half hours later this film has an energy to it which never wanes. There are a few genuine frights sprinkled throughout but this is no typical serial killer slasher flick. The Zodiac killer does all of his bloody work very early on in the film. From there the tension and drama comes from the chase, as a wide array of characters become involved in the quest to uncover this killer's identity. The killer himself remains in the shadows, the film is really about those who pursued him. But it is not only the police who are on the hunt. A newspaper reporter and, of all things, a political cartoonist find themselves swept up in the unfolding drama.
Robert Graysmith is the San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist and the story unfolds mostly from his perspective. Young and initially rather naive nobody takes Graysmith particularly seriously at first. But his dogged determination, which segues into complete obsession, pays off as he is able to piece together key parts of the Zodiac puzzle. Along for the journey is Chronicle reporter Paul Avery, a man who has his own personal demons. His efforts to solve the case will eventually be undermined by his inability to remain sober but for much of the film Graysmith and Avery make an unusual but reasonably effective investigative team. Of course there are a great many characters on the police end of the investigation as well. Chief among them are San Francisco police detectives David Toschi and William Armstrong. The toll the Zodiac investigation takes on these men will be obvious. Unlike the newspapermen, for Toschi and Armstrong this case was their responsibility, their life. And the frustrations are understandably sometimes too much to bear.
There are so many important characters here and a marvelous casting job is what, more than anything else, allows the film to really come together. Every actor, in roles large and small, falls into their roles perfectly. The central role of Graysmith goes to Jake Gyllenhaal and he does a wonderful job in portraying this character's evolution from a young, inexperienced nobody to a strong, confident, determined figure. If you could not take this character seriously, the movie inevitably would fail. Gyllenhaal ensures that will not be a concern. Robert Downey Jr. portrays Avery and in a film which sometimes needs a lighter touch he provides that until his character begins his decline. As the lead investigators, Toschi and Armstrong, Mark Ruffalo and Anthony Edwards are both excellent. The case obviously had a profound effect on the lives of these two men and Ruffalo and Edwards do great work in showing the impact the Zodiac had on the men who pursued him. The four actors mentioned here had the largest roles but there are so many other fine performances throughout. Cops, reporters, victims, family members and even a suspect or two...so many roles to play and everyone in the cast performed beautifully.
As the director, Fincher does a magnificent job guiding his terrific cast through the film's long journey. It is a story with many twists and turns. Leads are pursued, suspects come and go, it's a maze of information but you never feel lost while watching the film. And Fincher has created a tremendous atmosphere in which to tell his story. Locations, music, wardrobe...everything about the film has the perfect feel of late 1960s/early 1970s San Francisco. This story unfolds in a very specific and very unique time and place in history and Fincher has done a magnificent job of capturing that. Even at over two and a half hours long the film never drags. There is great drama and tension throughout and some truly chilling moments along the way. Having an undeniably fascinating story to work with Fincher crafted a truly fascinating film.