Writer: James Vanderbilt
Director: David Fincher
Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downey Jr, Chloe Sevigny
Rating: R
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: January 8, 2008

Once upon a time, I was a Criminal Justice major. I had dreams of solving the crimes that evaded other investigators. I often asked myself if I would have had an answer to the mystery of the Zodiac killer. One of the most elusive killers of our time, Zodiac was dangerous, controlled, and never caught or tried for his crimes. Naturally, with a massive interest in serial killers, I took on this movie with a keen eye.

Considering the name of this movie, I was interested in seeing more fact than fiction, which is what I assumed was the case for this film, since it was taken from Robert Graysmith’s nonfiction novel. There were some fictionalized moments, but nothing that was so over the top it was worth complaining about. These moments tended to be more about the growth of the story and were done to make things more interesting and dynamic for the film, which they did.

Release Information:
Zodiac was directed by David Fincher. Fincher is the genius behind such films as Fight Club, Seven, and Panic Room. Fincher’s part in the making of this film, combined with the movie topic, practically sealed the success of the film. Fincher seems to have a way of getting his actors to pull out their best performances and in this case, Zodiac shines. Zodiac was released in theaters back in March and came to DVD in a Director’s Cut on January 8, 2008.

The Zodiac: The Directors Cut Plot
Watching Zodiac will give you one of two opinions. You will either label Fincher as a quack who likely has some form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder that makes him concentrate on the most mundane details or you will revere him for creating one of the most incredible movies of 2007. Having watched Zodiac twice, I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

The first time I watched it, I was left with a sense of unease. Technically, there was nothing wrong with the movie. The acting was done with class and style that you would expect from the people in the film. The picture quality shined. The overall story was interesting and it came together nicely. So, why didn’t I like it? I began thinking it was like that final Sopranos episode, I needed to let it sink in to fully appreciate the genius that was involved.

Zodiac is disturbing because there is no clear lines to be found in the essence of this film. While other movies of this type find a line of good and evil or right and wrong, Zodiac seems to lack empathy for the traditional norms of a crime drama. Of course, there is no right or wrong in obsession. There are only crazed thoughts that lead to some sort of necessary end. For some, that end is rather loose ended and that is the case with Zodiac. You will receive an unfinished ending (because that is how the story ended in real life) and a lack of clear definition. In many ways, this is as realistic and edgy as you will get, merely because it becomes incredibly like life when done in this manner.

Zodiac is based on the nonfiction novel of a former San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist, Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal - Jarhead, Brokeback Mountain). The ultimate goal of the novel and this movie is to trace the investigation that was handled by detectives Toschi (Mark Ruffalo - All the King’s Men, Rumor Has It) and Armstrong (Anthony Edwards - ER, Revenge of the Nerds). Due to the complex nature of the case, the trail to the killer is filled with an endless amount of false hope and even more dead ends. These men work hard to determine who the killer is though as the terror mounts, the odds seem to become insurmountable.

Graysmith ties in thanks to his work at the Chronicle, (where the Zodiac sent more than one letter) and his eventual friendship with the inevitably flawed writer, Paul Avery (played beautifully by Robert Downey Jr.). Graysmith becomes obsessed with discovering who Zodiac is and despite Avery eventually removing himself from the equation, Graysmith spends years and his life, looking for a path to the killer. Considering all of his hard work, the police do come incredibly close to catching Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch). However, there is never enough evidence, much like in real life, and the crimes of the Zodiac inevitably go unsolved.

There are a million mundane moments in this film that end up engaging you to the point where you follow Graysmith’s madness hoping to find a path to the killer, as well. While much of this can be attributed to Gyllenhaal’s amazing performance, Fincher deserves a lot of credit, as well. The thing I love about Fincher is that he has a way of taking normal actions and making them appear terrifying in some way.

He has done this before with the performance of Kevin Spacey in Se7en and I am sure that he will do it again, as he did here. Unlike his other films, Zodiac exists and succeeds based on the story and the performance of the actors. No camera tricks were needed or used in this film and had they been it would have ruined the terror that was meant to come naturally. The film is ultimately less about the murders. It is more about the terror that exists in knowing that you could be next and in the need to find the killer and stop them before you are next.

I cannot comment on the actual fact that this is a Director’s Cut because I did not see the original theatrical version. I can tell you that there was only a few minutes difference between the two cuts, so whatever changes that were made were minimal.

If you want a movie that wraps up neatly, like a sitcom then you will have serious problems with Zodiac. This movie is too much like life to end with a happy, stable ending that is bound to make audiences content. You will leave with an utter sense of dread and a bitter taste in your mouth that can only be described as reality.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
Zodiac offers a beautiful transfer from start to finish. Shot on HD cameras, the shots, both gloomy and bright, come out looking vivid and dark where they should be. In either case, the video comes through loud and clear. The video transfer is available in an 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen format. There are slight spots of softness though these spots are incredibly few and far between, making the video as close to perfect as you would expect in a movie made in the 21st century.

The audio presentation is just as beautiful as the video, if not better. The Dolby Digital 5.1 audio offers a crisp sound with a dramatic score. This sound is absolutely perfect from dialogue to the instrumental pauses. In addition to standard audio, you can choose from English, Spanish, and French subtitles, if necessary.

Visual:
Audio:

Bonus Features:
Considering this is the special Director’s Cut, it is important to look at the offerings to determine whether double dipping (permitting you bought the first release) is worth it. There are plenty of special additions to this two disc set that were not included in the original DVD release. There is a nice blend of behind the scenes, filmaking information spattered with true crime investigation featurettes.

You will be able to listen to a commentary by the director. Fans of the Zodiac movie and Fischer will definitely want to watch the movie with commentary on as it is quite informative. There is another commentary track that includes Jake Gyllenhaal and Robert Downey Jr. in some parts and James Vanderbilt, Brad Fischer, and James Ellroy in others.

The other disc includes a complete set of extras that offer just about everything you could want. There is plenty on the Zodiac case and even more on the making of the film. Offerings include an hour long documentary, “Zodiac Deciphered”, a 15 minute featurette, “The Visual Effects of Zodiac”, and the theatrical trailer. Other special tidbits include a nearly two hour documentary, “This is the Zodiac Speaking”, a 42 minute documentary, “His Name was Arthur Leigh Allen”, and wrapping things up are you standard subtitles that have already been mentioned in the audio/video section.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
Zodiac left me frustrated the first time around. I am sure that it will do the same to many others. That being said, this is one of the best, frustrating, true to life movies that you will find. There were some creative licenses taken here that were necessary for story development, but they worked out well. In the end, you are offered a movie that is somberly sweet with good acting, great direction, and a perfect package that was meant to be celebrated.

Overall Rating:

Technorati Tags: Zodiac, Director’s Cut, DVD, Paramount Pictures, Serial Killer, Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr, Anthony Edwards, Movie, DVD Review

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