Zodiac Movie Review

Zodiac (2007)

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Written by: James Vanderbilt (screenplay), Robert Graysmith (book)
Directed by: David Fincher
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, Brian Cox, John Carroll Lynch, Chloë Sevigny, Elias Koteas, Dermot Mulroney, Donal Logue, June Diane Raphael
Rated: R
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Plot
A San Franciso newspaper cartoonist obsessed with solving San Francisco's infamous "Zodiac" serial killer case closes in on a suspect long after the case has become cold.

Verdict
The enduring question is who did it. We follow along from the beginning with the same clues trying to determine the answer. There has to be an answer in all these facts, but that obsession with finding the answer is the downfall of several characters. In most movies the pieces fit together neatly at the end, sometimes too close to the beginning. With this, it never quite fits. We can guess with a reasonable assurance, but you never get the smoking gun. This not only relays the facts of the case, but makes us feel the hope, fear, and anxiety that this case generated in so many.
Watch It.

Review
An introductory scene shows an unseen murderer attacking a couple parked in their car at night. From there we start the story proper with cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal) at the newspaper the day the Zodiac Killer sends a letter claiming the murder with a coded message. This starts his fascination with the case and its puzzles that later becomes an obsession. While he can't solve the cipher, a history teacher eventually does.

Another murder of a couple occurs as this killer terrorizes a city. The killer continues to send more letters to newspapers, threatening to kill more people if his musings aren't published. We know he'll kill anyway, but you can't risk exacerbating the situation. His letters seek attention, clamoring for the spotlight. While reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) initially dismisses Graysmith, and we understand why, they form a partnership in part for Graysmith's predilection for puzzles.

Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal play Paul Avery, Robert Graysmith

Happening across multiple jurisdictions makes coordination difficult. A mistaken description means the cops narrowly miss "Zodiac" one night. Four crime scenes in, cops Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and Armstrong  (Anthony Edwards) aren't any further than the newspaper. The story is the talk of the town because it's so salacious. The killer toys with everyone using letters and ciphers. Then he even calls in to a television station. Additional calls and letters leave everyone wondering if it's the Zodiac or other people seeking attention. There's no way to confirm whether it's him or others wanting to be a part of the investigation by claiming kills and providing information. That makes it difficult to sift through real and fake. It's how the police initially lost a phone tip.

Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards play Dave Toschi, Bill Armstrong

Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch) has several connections to the admittedly circumstantial evidence. While there's nothing directly incriminating, despite searching Allen's house, it's the closest suspect they've had. Is the lack of evidence because he's the killer and very good or because he's not the guy? With nothing concrete the case stalls.

Years later Graysmith still chases the Zodiac Killer. He tries to pull everything together, picking up on things that were missed and not coordinated. With so many departments involved and several unaware of what was happening initially, plenty of information was missed. You need someone to pull the information together, and that's Graysmith. It's rare to have someone not only obsessed but with resources and contacts. With that obsession, it leads to neglecting his family. This case has ruined almost everyone. Armstrong transferred out early, Avery turned to self medication, and Toschi made mistakes in trying to garner attention for a case long dead.

John Carroll Lynch plays Arthur Leigh Allen

Graysmith's hunt for answers make him foolish, leading him to the house of a man that could be a suspect. He ventures into the guy's basement. He's uneasy, and we're uneasy for him. The fear he feels is the concern his wife had over the obsession and the publicity it would garner. Graysmith reaches a point where he's trying to make his assumptions fit the facts. His family leaves and he follows clues instead of them. At the beginning of the movie we saw the concern he had for his kid, but at the end of the movie he's completely obsessed with the case.

Even at the end of the movie, all the pieces seem to fit but we don't have a definitive answer. That's what drove the characters in the movie. It's what drives the fascination in this case. There's got to be a clue or an answer somewhere.