Zodiac 2007

Cast : Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey, Jr, Mark Ruffalo,  Brian Cox, Anthony Edwards.

Plot and Summary:

Zodiac is a american crime thriller directed by David Fincher and written by James Vanderbilt, Based on a book " Finding the zodiac killer " by Robery Graysmith. the film is based on the serial killings by a man who claims himself to be "Zodiac" in California between 1960-70s. The film  begins with four killings at random places and after each time the killer leaves a mark of his own behind the scene( the symbol used in the poster of the film). the killer then posts letter to newspapers to publish some encoded messages to find out his true identity( Clearly a publicity scene to seek attention). Cartoonist Robert Graysmith and reporter Paul Avery( Robery Downey, Jr) get involved in finding the killer and often get the attention of the serial killer himself through the course of the film. The rest of the film is if Zodiac is ever found out or convicted or not.

Detective David Tosci( Mark Ruffallo) & Amrstrong( Anthony Edwards) are in change of the Zodiac killings , they actually get down to the fact that it is actually a serial killing case after a long time since they could not find a clue to relate the serial murders which happens miles apart with different jurisdiction. The time line of the film spans about 10 years from the start to the end of the murders because all the evidence that they have are all circumstantial and nothing that could make a clear conviction. In the middle of the film David actually catches the Zodiac Killer , at least we think we do by all the coincidences which he mentions in the film all seem to be circumstantial. Since the film is based on an actual crime which occurred , there is no car chases or man to man duel there are simply facts, clues are what can be proved and what cannot.

The actually story begins when  Robert begins to investigate the case once again after 3 years after the Zodiac story is long forgotten. His character is the one which is really altruistic in the entire film, there is a point where Paul asks Robert " Whats in it for you" and then he stares blankly. In the end his stubbornness which brings clarity to the entire case though it does not lead to the capture.The film as such has many characters and many crime scenes which span both in distance and time. It all boils down to the final moment when Robert explains what he finds through his research and explains it to David, This is actually a very good scene which brings clarity to the who chaos in the entire film.

After that David tells Robert " Easy there Dirty Harry" - probably the most meaningful conversation in the entire film. In Dirty harry Clint Eastwood kills the serial killer , no fuss bang on. David  knows who the Zodiac is and tells Robert just how meaningless all his research is and tells him to finish the book. At the end after nearly 8 years when they find a evidence that could lead to conviction the Zodiac killer is long dead by natural causes.

Verdict:

David Fincher is know for making film from true incidents , most of his works form Seven to the recent Gone girl are made from novels or true events. Zodiac is one of them. What is unique about Zodiac is that though it is a crime thriller, there is none of the usual stuff you get from a crime thriller like a protangonist, a villian and the duel between them. What you get are hard facts and crime scenes and how they did investigate crime in the olden days 1960s.

Don't get me wrong, this film is all suspense and there is a villain and he is very real, There are some gripping scenes when David and Amstrong interrogate the Zodiac and when Robert meets an another suspect for the Zodiac killer, they really give the chills which a regular horror movie might give. Finally Zodiac can be considered one of the best crime thrillers ever made in the line of L.A.Confidential, Seven, the usual suspects though it is not as dramatic as the rest it has something which is much better, a true crime scene.