Zodiac (Director's Cut)

A great film can stay with you, and by that I don't just being able to say, "oh that's the one with so and so". When I think of the films I like, something about them replays back in my mind whether it's a particular scene, a memorable soundtrack or the affect it had in some way. When I think of David Fincher's 2007 Zodiac, I am reminded of all three from his depiction of a desolate San Francisco, the fantastic choice in 1960/70s songs and the chilling atmosphere. 

Nearly ten years after its release, Zodiac has hardly aged a day and still looks fantastic, maintaining the director's distinct style. And while it was praised upon release, the Oscars sadly chose not to credit it with a single nomination and I feel as if it became swallowed up by The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Social Network and the director's other Oscar films that followed. It is understandable that the idea of a fact-based film exploring real-life murders isn't the most appealing to your average mainstream audience, but for everyone else, this is a rare dark gem. In other words, the type of film you will kick yourself for not having seen it before.

The story begins in the late 1960s where Jake Gyllenhaal is a cartoonist who soon becomes caught-up by his newspapers' ongoing investigation into the San Francisco Zodiac killer, while working alongside his colleague played by a pre-Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. And to top that you even have the Hulk (no the green one) aka Mark Ruffalo as the police detective pursuing every lead. Alongside this you have a richly talented supporting cast who survived Fincher's painstaking approach to directing and, as a result, there is a never moment that falls out of tune. 

I'd be repeating my reviews of The Game and Gone Girl if I were to go into how gorgeously shot and edited Zodiac is so I'll say it is perfect and will leave it at that. What I will add though is that this is not a film without humour, and Fincher's pacing keeps the lengthy film engaging without ever letting go. His ability to keep the story fresh and exciting will turn many cynics and a large part of this is owed to Gyllenhaal's wide-eyed, innocent performance. Had Fincher used the perspective of Ruffalo's character as our viewpoint into the film's events, I am sure I would still be writing about a great film but it would have lost an element of much needed variety. 

Even on blu-ray the director's cut is very affordable and if you seen one available, I would strongly urge you to pick up a copy. So when I think of Zodiac, I am reminded of a smart, tense and engaging film that I just want to watch again. For anyone in search of a satisfying crime thriller, Fincher is your man and this is your film.