Zodiac

Zodiac was nothing like what I was expecting and I'm still trying to figure out if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I was reluctant at first to see the film because I'm not a fan of horror films, I get too scared and can't sleep at night and since this was based on true events and was all about murder I had my reservations. Surprisingly, the film wasn't that scary. In fact it wasn't about the murders per se but rather about the detective work and puzzle solving surrounding the murders. The murders themselves were pretty gruesome but compared to what other films have portrayed it's pretty mild. The film reminded me of All the President's Men because it was slow, drawn out and focused on the detective work. I did watch the director's cut so the theatrical version might be shorter and not give that same effect but still there isn't much action in the film. The film does a good job in showing the frustration of bureaucratic red tape and the problems involved when coordinating with other police jurisdictions. Everything seemed to be pointed to one person, Leigh Allen, but yet they couldn't convict him because they only had circumstantial evidence. You felt the frustration from the characters as well as the fear as they were targeted.

Another great cast for a film. Robert Downy Jr. has become a favorite of mine in recent years and he was no disappointment here except for the fact that he exited the film early on. However, his rapid deterioration in the film as Paul Avery was hard to watch in terms of feeling sorry for him but it was good. You get to see how the Zodiac wears him down. Two scenes stood out for me with Robert Downing Jr. which were both comedic moments. The first is when he gets a drink with Robert Graysmith played by Jake Gyllenhall. It's such a random scene but yet fits in with the building of their relationship. Robert Downy Jr. plays is so well. The second scene is when he gets the halloween card in the mail from the Zodiac with a piece of the cabbies' shirt. It's creepy because now he is being targeted but yet funny at the same time because how he reacts.
Jake Gyllenhaal was also good in this film although his character was a bit understated. I felt like they could have done a better job at fleshing out his character at the beginning. I guess my main problem with his character is that I was expecting an amazing puzzle solver in the vein of Nicholas Cage in National Treasure or Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones. More of the adventure puzzle solver which I didn't get in Zodiac. Although this was annoying, I applaud the fact that David Fincher didn't go all Hollywood on us and make Robert Graysmith a master puzzle solver.

The structure of these two characters paralleled each other and you knew that once Avery left that Graysmith would take up the mantel and you felt even worse for him because he gave up his family to track down the Zodiac without any real luck. We knew he had already been divorced once and knew it was going to happen again as his obsession with Zodiac grew. The sad thing was having his kids help him. It was frustrating to see a man go so deep into his obsession that he puts himself into dangerous positions.
Mark Ruffalo was the other main actor who was great to see. His voice made the role for him. Both him and Anthony Edwards made a great pair. They had great chemistry and I enjoyed the animal crackers gag that ran the film. Once again, like all the characters in this film you felt sorry for Ruffalo. Not able to catch the Zodiac and then being accused of writing a Zodiac letter. His whole life tumbles in around him but unlike Graysmith, he takes himself out of the situation. Admits defeat. He does help Graysmith in round about ways as he's researching for his book and gets caught up in the case when more evidence is pointing towards Leigh Allen. But, he knows when to stop and somehow you're almost thankful for that.
The film is so circular and the characters just get caught up in this cycle unable to break it by either getting out or by solving the case. As an audience, you feel frustrated. Part of the genius of the film is making the enjoyment come from the detection of how each of the characters sifts through the evidence and comes to their conclusions rather then find out who the Zodiac is. The audience in a way, is an extension of the character's in the narrative and through them we feel frustrated that we can't charge the main suspect which all the evidence points to or know for sure without any doubt that Leigh Allen is the killer because he dies. I think because of this lack of closure for the characters and the audience, the audience is forced to find enjoyment through the detective work. Much like All the President's Men and "Deep Throat" although now Deep Throat his been revealed whereas there will never be a way to concretely say that Leigh Allen is the Zodiac.

The tone of this film is very much on one level. There isn't much color in the film after the lovely green and yellow top Robert Downy Jr, is sporting at the first editorial meeting and the mood of the film fits. However, there are little spurts of comedy. The comedy in this film was well placed but yet you feel as if you shouldn't be laughing. When the Zodiac kills the two people by the lake the male victim says the things that you wish you could say if you were going to be killed. You come to the realization that this guy is going to kill you and you can do nothing about it so you become heavily sarcastic and really just a smart ass. It was a strange scene because you have this balance of comedy and horror but it works.
The one thing that really stood out for me throughout the entire film was the passage of time. Obviously this case spanned a few decades. We begin the movie in 1968 and end in 1991 with an epilogue text in the 2000s. There was the usual time titles for various events but when there was a significant jump in time the film did some unique things like the process of a building being built and the radio noise overlaying a black screen. It is so unusual to be presented with a black screen that it was a good effect. At first you don't quite know what's going on but then the black screen just endures and you put things together realizing that time is passing and you renter the narrative several years down the line.
The film made you think which is always a good sign of a well though out and crafted film. It wasn't overtly scary, I did have some moments last night when I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep because I was thinking about the Zodiac killer, but it had just the right about of suspense.