Movies You May Have Missed- Zodiac(2007)

I’m starting a new segment in addition to my normal reviews called Movies you may have missed.  This week I will be discussing Zodiac. The film was made in 2007 starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, and Robert Downey Jr.   Besides its all star cast, it is also directed by David Fincher, the man who brought you The Social Network, Fight Club, and Seven.  Fincher has a solid track record directing great films notwithstanding a few outliers, one being, Alien 3.  Zodiac may not have been The Social Network, but, it was definitely nomination worthy. 

Zodiac is a terrific film.  There is no getting around it, if you like a good mystery/suspense movie go rent this one, and you will not be disappointed.  The movie is about the Zodiac Killer, who during the late 60s and early 70s killed many innocent people in California.  We view the movie from the perspectives of both the local newspaper (The Chronicle) and the San Francisco Police.  No detail is spared. It’s not boring by any means, but nothing is overlooked. We watch the detectives on screen and begin to feel like we are part of the investigation.  The second time I watched this movie I found myself pausing it frequently to discuss what was happening and try and see if I could figure it out. 

The film shifts back and forth between The Chronicle (newspaper) and the SFPD until the last hour or so where Jack Gyllenhaal’s character, who is a cartoonist for the Chronicle, decides he is going crack the case. 

I don’t want to give too much away so I won’t mention more of the plot.  What is worth mentioning is the feel of the movie.  It doesn’t sass anything up, it tells the story just like it is.  There are no gimmicks here, just real detective work.  The film is shot beautifully and the set has a real 70s feel to it.  Fincher does a terrific job creating suspense out of virtually nothing. 

In a peaNut Shell:  This is one hell of a movie.  It’s engaging, suspenseful and incredibly intriguing.  You become as addicted to solving the case as the main characters are.  It’s a long film with a run time of 2 hours and 37 minutes.  It doesn’t fly by, but I honestly didn’t want it to.  Go see this, you won’t be disappointed.