Zodiac Review

David Fincher's latest crime thriller is a little less action and a lot more conversation, yet it works.

David Fincher is one of those directors who deserves all the praise he gets but hasn't yet reached the top-tier. He's got a definitive style to his filmmaking, has a great sense of visuals, and chooses his work very carefully. There's no contest that he's made some interesting films with Se7en, Fight Club, and the just-above-average Panic Room, but there's something the director from Denver is missing. In my opinion, the one thing Fincher hasn't yet mastered is the art of storytelling.

I had been very excited about Zodiac leading up to its release on Friday (March 2nd). I'm a huge fan of Fincher, the cast appeared stunning (at least on paper), and the serial killer crime thriller seemed like a perfect fit for the stylized director. It was hard to ignore Fincher's signing-on to the project in that, as I mentioned earlier, he chooses his films very carefully. That being said, when he signs on to do a movie it's a little more than a big deal considering the last film he did was 2002's Panic Room.



I was excited and a bit nervous going into the theatre as I was prepared to take on the 160 minute investigation film, but I was also not sure what to expect. Fincher had been on a five year hiatus from feature films and I expected Zodiac to show some rust and wear. After ten minutes of the film it was clear something about Fincher's direction was different. His style was still present, but it didn't have as strong a presence as it has had in the past, almost diminishing into the background. At first I was a bit disappointed, expecting maybe to be in the same universe as Fight Club or Se7en just with different characters, instead I was in a completely different world. Fincher's style hadn't vanished, but it was in the back seat, and I loved it.

For starters, the film doesn't throw privileged shots at the audience like curve balls. There are a few carefully placed throughout the film, but they have been toned down and aren't as distracting as they have been in some of Fincher's other films. Another thing that I noticed with Zodiac compared to some of the director's previous work is that he seems to hang on the characters longer than he has in the past, which helps show parts of them that would have been hidden earlier in his career.



Speaking of characters, the film is rich with them. There's Robert Graysmith, played by Jake Gyllenhaal (Brokeback Mountain, Donnie Darko), who is a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle. As the Zodiac case begins to unfold Graysmith becomes progressively wrapped up in its facts and begins trying to solve the case on his own. Another protagonist at the Chronicle is Paul Avery, who's played by Robert Downey Jr. (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, A Scanner Darkly). Avery is a high-profile reporter who gets under the skin of the police by sticking his nose in places they don't belong. Mark Ruffalo plays Inspector David Toschi, the main cop working on the Zodiac case. All three of these characters go through major changes in the film and it's really devastating seeing the grueling effects of the case wear off on their lives.

How the Zodiac case is handled in the film is it's high point in my opinion. It's long, it's tiring, and it's tedious as hell. Hundreds of facts, clues, and theories are handed to the audience over the course of 160 minutes and while it's a chore trying to keep track of specifics it fits the confusion and mystery of the case. As the film progresses you want to see someone caught and convicted just for the sake of ending the investigation, not necessarily for justice. Many critics will complain about the long running time and the large among of facts and dialogue but I disagree. They really helped portray the exhaustion that everyone involved with the case would have felt.



Another high point of the film are the performances given by Ruffalo and Downey. Downey plays his usual cards here, acting as the quick-talking, smooth, and intelligent reporter who eventually gets caught up in alcohol and drinking problems (sound familiar?). Ruffalo, in my opinion, does the best job in the film. Nothing he does seems forced or lacking control and he does a great job manipulating his character throughout the movie without forcing too much on the audience. Unfortunately, I thought Jake Gyllenhaal could have been better in Zodiac. He wasn't bad, I just felt that he could have invested much more into the character and taken more time transforming into the role. Watching the film I saw bits of his previous characters pour into his performance and it was distracting. In fact, I'm beginning to think that Gyllenhaal is starting to get type-cast, often choosing the roles of soft-spoken characters who are slightly separated from the rest of society. He does a good job with them, but it's hard to get wrapped up in his performance when you feel like you've seen it all before.

Zodiac is a long movie, and it throws a lot at the audience. It's a ride that is exciting but doesn't move much and relies on dialogue to progress the film. If you are looking for a crime thriller along the lines of Se7en, L.A. Confidential, or The Departed you won't find it with Zodiac but if you want a complex story that doesn't take too many liberties this film will be right up your alley. Zodiac is a masterpiece and a great work of filmmaking, it's great to see Fincher gradually moving breaking through into big leages. I just hope his next film isn't five years down the road.

One Sentence Review: Long, complex crime thriller that's definitely worth a watch.

Cheers.

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FILM: Spring Movies Not to Be Missed

There are quite a few films worth checking out in the upcomming months. I take a peek at what's just around the corner and tell what I'm looking forward to.

February:

Reno 911!: Miami. Hits theatres on February 23rd. Directed by Ben Garant (Reno 911! TV series). Starring Thomas Lennon, Ben Garant, Kerri Kenney, and Cedric Yarbrough. Reno 911!: Miami features all the characters you love from the hilarious TV show and throws them into the biggest mess of their police careers. While Reno 911! isn't everyone's cup of tea, I just love the characters and I'd gladly sit in a theatre for an hour and a half and watch them make even bigger asses out of themselves. Danny DeVito, Paul Rudd, Paul Reubens, and Michael Ian Black (Stella!) also play smaller roles in the film. Watch the Reno 911!: Miami trailer HERE.

March:

Zodiac. Hits theatres on March 2nd. Directed by David Fincher (Se7en). Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, and Cloe Sevigny. Zodiac tells the story of the investigators and reports who were terrorized by the Zodiac serial killer in 1970 San Francisco. David Fincher is a perfectionist and great at displaying tension and atmosphere so I'm sure that the film will be a great ride. The only worry I have about this flick thus far is the poor CGI establishing shots in the trailer, but they could be cleaned up before the film's release next month. Check out the Zodiac trailer HERE.

Black Snake Moan. Hits theatres on March 2nd. Directed by Craig Brewer (Hustle & Flow). Starring Samuel L. Jackson, Christina Ricci, and Justin Timberlake. Black Snake Moan is the story of an elderly blues musician who holds a victim of childhood sexual abuse against her will in an attempt to free her from her troubles. Read my preview of the film HERE and watch the trailer HERE.

The Host. Hits theatres on March 9th. Directed by Joon-ho Bong (Memories of Murder). Starring Song Kang-Ho, Byun Hee-Bong, Park Hae-IL, Bae Doo-Na, and Ko A-Sung. The Host, or Gwoemul as it's known in Korean, is the story of a fairly poor elderly man, Park Hee-Bong, who runs a snack bar on the banks of Seoul's Han River. One day a mutant creature emerges from the river and kidnaps Park's granddaughter. The film, which released in South Korea during the summer, has gotten international praise and will hopefully awe North American audiences. Check out The Host trailer HERE.



300. Hits theatres on March 9th. Directed by Zack Snyder (Dawn of the Dead). Starring Gerard Butler, David Wenham, and Lena Headey. 300 is the adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel of the same name. 300 Spartans must face over 1 million soldiers of the Persian Empire in an attempt to be free from slavery. The film has gotten both praise and disgust after early test screenings and will most likely do well at the box office. It is unclear though whether or not it will be as critically superb as Frank Miller's recent adaptation, Sin City. Check out the trailer to 300 HERE.

Reign Over Me. Hits theatres on March 23rd. Directed by Mike Binder (The Upside of Anger). Starring Don Cheadle, Adam Sandler, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Liv Tyler. Reign Over Me is the story of a pair of old college roommates who restart their friendship by running into each other after living very different lives apart. While some may think this is a comedy because it stars the likes of Adam Sandler it seems like a fairly heavy-handed drama, although I'm sure there are comedic qualities throughout. I'm also a fairly large Don Cheadle fan and feel that he's chosen his roles wisely over the past few years, hopefully Reign Over Me turns out to be another good choice. Check out the trailer for Reign Over Me HERE.



Rescue Dawn. Hits theatres on March 30th. Directed by Werner Herzog (Little Dieter Needs to Fly). Starring Christian Bale, Steve Zahn, and Jeremy Davies. Rescue Dawn is the story of a downed fighter pilot who must find a way to survive in a Vietnamese POW camp. I watch anything Christian Bale does and I also have a lot of respect for Herzog so I'll definitely be checking this one out. Read my preview of Rescue Dawn HERE and check out the trailer HERE.

April:

Grindhouse. Hits theatres on April 6th. Directed by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and Robert Rodriguez (Sin City). Starring Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Rose McGowan, and Michael Biehn. Grindhouse is two extreme action flicks for the price of one. Both directors shot a segment, Tarantino doing Death Proof and Rodriguez shooting Planet Terror, and they will play back-to-back with fake trailers playing during the intermission. Grindhouse is a throwback to the old cinemas that would show two over-the-top films in one sitting for the price of one admission. Now, this could turn out to be a great idea or it could be a complete bomb, either way I have to check it out. Watch the trailer for Grindhouse HERE.

Hot Fuzz. Hits theatres on April 20th. Directed by Edgar Wright (Shaun of the Dead). Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Bill Nighy, and Timothy Dalton. There are a lot of reasons to be interested in Hot Fuzz. For starters, it's done by the same creative team behind the top notch film Shaun of the Dead and shares a fairly similar cast. some may even say it's a sequel to the zombie film, while it's a completely different universe. The film has been out in the UK for a little while now and has been getting rave reviews with many critics saying it's better than Shaun, which is very high praise. Hot Fuzz has been on the top of my to-see list since I first heard about it at San Diego Comic-Con over the summer. Check out the trailer for Hot Fuzz HERE.

The Invisible. Hits theatres on April 27th. Directed by David S. Goyer (Blade: Trinity). Starring Justin Chatwin, Michelle Harrison, and Marcia Gay Harden. The Invisible is the story of two teens who are invisible to the rest of the world. It's a concept that's been done before, and done to death, but for some reason I'm interested in the project. It's probably the psychological thriller fanatic inside of me that hasn't been fed for a few months. Hopefully this film feeds that hunger. Check out the trailer for The Invisible HERE.



May:

Spider-Man 3. Hits theatres on May 4th. Directed by Sam Raimi (Army of Darkness). Starring Tobey Maguire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco, Thomas Hayden Church, Topher Grace, and Rosemary Harris. Spider-Man 3 kicks off where the second film left off. Peter is with Mary-Jane (who knows he is Spidey), Harry Osborn is still bent on revenge, and the world is beginning to respect the web-head. Raimi's third film is supposedly darker and more intense than the previous two, but may also be more convoluted as three enemies are thrown into the mix. I have doubts that Spider-Man 3 will be as good a film as the previous two but I'm still pumped to go see it. Check out the trailer for Spider-Man 3 HERE.

Well, those are the films I'm looking forward to in the next few months. Is there anything I missed. Let me know what flicks you're looking forward to seeing.

Cheers.

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