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Those familiar with the case of the Zodiac Killer, who
first struck in San Francisco in 1968, know that the murderer was never
caught — so there’s no hope that Zodiac will be a neat-and-tidy mystery. Be that as it may,
director David Fincher (Se7en, The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room) succeeds in creating a
genuinely effective thriller. Newspaper political cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake
Gyllenhaal) is the most idealistic of the four men who set out to unravel
this gruesome mystery. A word-puzzle addict, he takes to deciphering the
killer’s coded notes and finds himself obsessed not only by the
Zodiac’s mind but also by his methods. Equally taken by the case is
Inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), who sees bringing the killer in as a
personal mission, one that will eventually have a negative effect on every
aspect of his life. Although his partner, William Armstrong (Anthony
Edwards), is able to distance himself, the many dead ends they encounter
make Toschi cynical and bitter before his time. Time has already worn away
at crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.); his alcoholism, coupled
with his obsessive research of the case, makes for a textbook example of
self-destructive behavior. The ripple effect of this case on the men is profound,
and with the film running more than two-and-a-half hours, it feels as
though we witness every traumatic event in their lives over the course of a
decade. Fincher is such a master at generating such a distinctive mood that
even when the killer isn’t onscreen his presence is felt. He haunts
this film, much as he did those whose lives were inextricably linked to
his.
This article appears in Feb 22-28, 2007.
