I had been anticipating seeing this movie for quite a while. Most of the movies that I really look forward to seeing take anywhere from 3 months to over a year to get to Tepic, Mexico. I remember waiting in vain for movies like “Punch-Drunk Love” to arrive here. So even though “Zodiac” came out in the USA in March we had to wait quite a while to see it here. Was the movie worth the wait? Somewhat.
David Fincher has had a unique career so far. I have had strong reactions (positive and negative) to his films. His first was “Aliens 3″ which I remember seeing even though my parents told me not too! I remember feeling really bad after seeing it because I had disobeyed my parents and because the movie itself is just miserable. Most guys tend to love “Fight Club” but I think it is a waste of time and one of the most irresponsible movies ever. The movie starts with some great questions but ends with absolutely nothing. I have no idea why the movie was even made. My favorite movie by Fincher would be “The Game” which is just a really enjoyable suspense/mystery. “Seven” is a truly horrific experience I would never repeat and “Panic Room” is alright.
Anyways…”Zodiac” is not as fun as “The Game” or as disturbing as “Fight Club” or “Seven”. It’s more mainstream than most of his films. It’s odd going to a movie that you know has no conclusion (the Zodiac killer was never discovered) but the journey of the characters is still worth watching. The actors are the best part of the movie. Gyllenhaal, Downey Jr. and Ruffalo are all excellent. They are really what make the movie work. The script and the cinematography are decent but not remarkable.
“Zodiac” stuck with me for a few days afterwards but I’m not really sure why. I guess it made me think about how obsession can destroy a persons life. It reminds me as a man to be careful how I prioritize work. It seems most men have the danger of putting other interests above their families. That is something that scares me. I guess that is what scared me the most about “Zodiac”. It wasn’t the killer, it was the man who devoted his life to finding him. He never did.
I gave “Zodiac” 7/10 on imdb mostly because of the strengths of the actors.
September 3, 2007
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