Zodiac (2007): A-

Director(s): David Fincher. Screenplay: James Vanderbilt. Cast: Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Robert Downy Jr., Brian Cox, Chloë Sevigny, Elias Koteas, Dermot Mulroney, Donal Logue, Clea DuVall, Philip Baker Hall and John Carroll Lynch. Distributor: Paramount Pictures. Runtime: 155 min. Rating: R. Year: 2007.

Exhilarating, unshakeable, mesmerizing, baffling, and adept beyond belief, David Fincher's Zodiac neither lacks ambition nor audacity. Combining all aspects of Fincher's works from his cynical Se7en to his brilliant Fight Club, Zodiac is of the rarest—and dying—kind of Hollywood thrillers, both simplistically alive and meticulously astute.

Both a superb character study and a film about true obsessions, Zodiac chronicles various people as they try to uncover the true killer that terrorized the bay area for more than 22 years. The first scene—the film's seemingly drawing introduction— is truly unshakeable: a young couple is stationed at a very high altitude (possibly a mountain). As they wonder along with their business, a car stops. It is seemingly dark, allowing the eyes watching the film to see nothing. The car waits and pulls away. The couple is startled, but as they are caught up in their oblique emotions the man in the car returns and comes out. "You gave us quite a scare", says the young man. As a memorable rock tune plays in the background, the couple is shot down relentlessly. So comes the first death, so comes the mesmerizing Zodiac. A string of other murders pursue, and thus we are introduced to the characters. For one, San Francisco Chronicle "boy scout" cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), compulsive but a good man. The second, a hard boiled Mark Ruffalo as David Toschi, the main investigator in the case. And finally, the brilliant, boozy, ascot-wearing Francisco Chronicle reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr., exhibiting his usual quirky, attractive idiosyncrasies.) They each part their own way, all finding info on the killer but never anything conclusive. Graysmith, on the side of Avery, smartly cracks codes from the zodiac sent to the Chronicle, which gives good credit to Gyllenhal. Overall, he plays his part well, both compulsively pitched and shaky (his character). Shot on state-of-the-art HD by Harris Savides via a process that required absolutely no celluloid or tape, Zodiac gives off somewhat of a rich, smoky feel, often felt as if it were shot with a Mini DV. This also gives a feel of realism towards a film that is not supposed to be interpreted that way at all. Such a toned-down aesthetic (full of fades to black) is matched by David Shire's taut score and the director's conspicuously reserved camerawork, which favors both masterful crane-shots and visual close-ups giving the audience it's grab towards emotion. Years pass by and still there is nothing, yet, Graysmith develops an obsession towards finding the killer. Convinced that former military man and convicted pedophile Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch) is the Zodiac, Graysmith finds himself incapable of doing anything substantial about it, his reward for going crazy and alienating loved ones and colleagues proves his obsession. He ends up writing a book all about the Zodiac, and this is where the film comes from; the taut script seems to be original but isn't, both juxtaposing key informative points and the reality of character.

Although Zodiac looks like the average, done-deal, it truly isn't. Mixed with stunning casting (especially Ruffalo, who finally proves himself), a beautiful chronology that never seems to slog the film's pace, and a feeling of overall realism, Zodiac really is a director at the top of his game. The film is in its own world, unique in its own ways, but also glares a sense of naturalism. Zodiac embeddes the beauty of itself in our minds, creating a stark, unforgettable journey that truly must be seen to be believed.