Thursday, March 8, 2007
Balancing the fine line between historical accuracy and creative interpretation is what makes a film based on a true story tough to pull off. Stick too hard to the facts and it’s dull and unimaginative; give artistic license free reign and it’s unrealistic.
Better call director David Fincher (Fight Club, Alien 3) the tightrope walker, because Zodiac performs the stunt impeccably. Fincher is able to retain a factual loyalty to the specifics of the unsolved serial killer case, while infusing the movie with an aesthetic style that pays homage to its genre’s noir roots. The result is an enthralling who-done-it that holds its audience the entire 158 minutes.
Unfolding primarily in a 1970s San Francisco that is as visually convincing as Paul Thomas Anderson’s portrayal of the 1980s San Fernando Valley in Boogie Nights, Zodiac follows the city’s police department and San Francisco Chronicle reporters on their investigation of the anonymous Zodiac killer, whose systematic murders and threatening demands for media attention have put northern California into a state of shock. But when the Zodiac goes on hiatus and the most promising leads fizzle out, the media and police turn their heads to the next buzz-worthy happening, leaving the dedicated Chronicle cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) alone in his emotional involvement in the dangerous pursuit.
Unlike the fragmented, ego-driven search for the killer, Zodiac thrives, thanks to a concerted acting effort. It’s still early, but don’t be surprised if Robert Downey Jr. picks up a best supporting actor nomination for his self-researched role as a renowned columnist who suffers a drug-induced downfall.
A classic rock soundtrack featuring Santana, Sly and the Family Stone and Three Dog Night serves as an added bonus to what is, alongside Children of Men, one of the most cinematically complete films so far this calendar year.
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