Zodiac

Fans of brutal cult classics like “Se7en” and “Fight Club” (myself included) may be disappointed to hear that David Fincher’s latest film “Zodiac” is a tad toned-down from what they’re used to. Instead of relying on blood and gore galore, he has created a masterful film in which discomfort and unrelenting psychological terror take center stage. In many ways, this restrained approach seems perfectly executed, because the viewer is immediately enveloped in an unnerving world where not even the children are protected from the madness.

Based on Robert Graysmith’s best-selling novel, “Zodiac” follows the decades-long hunt for the notorious serial killer who terrorized the San Francisco Bay area during the early 1970’s, but was unfortunately never identified. He has been linked to seven murders between December 1968 and October 1969, which is significantly lower than the 37 he has often taken credit for over the years. Every time police thought they were getting close, something new would come along and shake things up for everyone involved. Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) was working as a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle when he first heard about the Zodiac Killer and his involvement in the case quickly grew from there.

What started out as a passive curiosity, quickly became a dangerous obsession that would eventually devour every ounce of his energy. He becomes so wrapped up in the investigation that his family is forced to leave him until he gets his life back in order.

Despite his nice-guy persona, Gyllenhaal’s take on Graysmith is actually quite moving as he embodies the fanatical personality of a man who spent his entire career searching for answers, but wasn’t given any. He does his best to capture the compulsive mentality and make the audience feel just as discouraged about the state of affairs as he is. His mania isn’t that different from what Jim Carrey’s character experiences in “The Number 23”, but the similarities between the two films stop right there.

While Carrey’s film used obsession as a contrived plot device, Graysmith manages to harness his enthusiasm and put it toward achieving a greater purpose. In addition to Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr. both turn in superb supporting performances and ultimately take the film to another level. Downey, as reporter Paul Avery, is refreshingly terrific in his patented spaced-out drug addict role and continues his string of quirky yet amazing character interpretations. Mark Ruffalo isn’t someone you usually see in this type of picture, but his work as Inspector Dave Toschi surpasses anything he has ever done and allows him to sharpen his intense dramatic chops.

Since Fincher grew up in California, he has a loving passion for the area and a distinctive attention to detail that undeniably makes this film what it is. By producing a spot-on re-creation of 1970’s San Francisco, he makes it so that the audience feels as if they’ve traveled back in time and is witnessing these events first-hand. If you find yourself frustrated with the film’s open-ended conclusion, just imagine how the real-life investigators feel. The fact that the case remains unsolved brings up the frightening possibility that the Zodiac might still be out there, watching, waiting to strike again.

- **** out of 4