ZODIAC

A classic thriller, laced with wit.

Zodiac wraps you up like a blanket. The film’s dense plot and character driven mentality really are a force. It is completely consuming and in a very good way. Fincher pulls off another great feat of story telling through his stylistic direction. In almost a black comedy sort of way, Zodiac putts along with different characters that amuse, scare and frustrate. This seemingly endless list of characters really gets the audience tied up in things. By the climax of the film they are tossing so many names around it seems like you’ll never get things straight. Somehow things seem to come together and even thinking back on it now, I am still figuring some of it out. This is always a fun feeling because you leave the theatre with something to think about, and it makes you want to see it again.

As the film progresses through the eras it is accompanied by a good soundtrack that keeps this film, about a serial killer, surprisingly upbeat. The acting is fun to watch because of stellar performances by many top actors. It often seemed like an ensemble cast where everyone had an even share of scenes. Robert Downey, Jr. stood out to me with his eccentric personality and dead on one-liners. He complimented the other characters perfectly, and he was the one who seemed to evolve the most also through the story.

The plot is very strong throughout. Basing a script on actual events can often make it difficult to create an entire story that feels well developed. Zodiac is a pretty good example. Lots of characters, twists and turns, and a touch of humorous wit make this a great script. The ending seemed a little loose, and that is one of those moments where you have to remember that they were following true events and could only embellish so much. Looking back, I appreciate the ending more now than I did when I walked out of the theatre.

All together, Zodiac is a solid film. It is very engrossing as a thriller, and surprisingly humorous for it’s genre. The direction is great, and the acting is notable. Not to mention the camera shots are cool to watch.


GRADE: B+
TRAILER: http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/zodiac/