Zodiac 3.5/5 review by Chris (Joe)
Oh, how interesting, a half score…is that a first? Read on!
I was lucky enough to see this as a prescreening last night thanks to the greatness of 570 KLIF. Good times.
Zodiac
-In theaters starting tomorrow-
IMDB Synopsis:
Based on the Robert Graysmith books about the real life notorious Zodiac, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco with a string of seemingly random murders during the 1960s and 1970s.
Chris’s review:
This movie is about more than the unsolved Zodiac murders in the 70s. This is a movie about obsession, pride, friendship, justice, and a plethora of other topics. The story develops in layers, introducing more main characters as it rolls along its massive 2 hour 40 minute run time. Prime among the handful of characters is Jake Gyllenhaal’s Robert Graysmith. Graysmith wrote the best-selling Zodiac book over a period of years as he became further and further obsessed with the case. We mainly follow 3 stories throughout the movie: Graysmith’s, the detective assigned to the case (Toschi (Ruffalo)), as well as a roughly chronological story of the Zodiac’s killings. These stories flow together seamlessly and alternate the lead at varying times throughout the film which keeps the pace tolerable and interesting.
This brings me to my first and most overriding point. This script is EXCELLENT! Not only does James Vanderbilt (screenplay Basic, Darkness Falls) tell the story in an engaging way by interweaving 3 different angles but the most noticeable thing is that the script was really quite funny. I know that doesn’t make much sense in a movie about a serial killer that ran amok and was never caught, but hear me out. The characters feel incredibly real because the script allows them to interact like real people with humor, and a certain amount of lightness despite the heavy subject matter. We sat in a relatively full theater, as it was a free prescreening for a radio station, and I was continually surprised by the giggles that would ripple through the crowd at a well written moment of subtle humor. Don’t get me wrong, this is not roll on the floor laughs like a Wes Anderson movie, just the incredibly deft use a one liner or funny reaction placed correctly to break the tension.
Next, I’ll touch on the performances briefly. Jake is solid, though he is playing a character that he is comfortable in, so solid should be the expected. Ruffalo is notable, especially considering he hasn’t done anything I have been remotely interested in seeing since The Last Castle. Robert Downey is excellent, as he usually is. Everyone else basically plays a supporting role to these 3, but none stood out as a detriment to the cast.
Now, on to David Fincher, a director that appears on my top 20 favorite films list with the wonderful film Se7en. I have to say he was mostly underwhelming. Not that I took distinct note of anything that I felt he did poorly, but I also didn’t see anything as visually stimulating as his work in Se7en. Possibly he relies heavily on his directors of photography? It WAS 2 different guys, so it could be.
Anywho, that is unimportant really. Let me explain my ranking of this film, as this was my first half score. This is a REALLY strong 3 or a low end 4. Basically, it would be worth owning, but I couldn’t see myself watching it over and over again. I would certainly recommend it highly and would love to see it again someday, so it may very well find its way in to my DVD collection. Thus, the 3.5/5 rating.
Chris’s recommendations:
See this movie if…
-You liked Se7en or any other dark serial killer mystery thrillers.
-You like Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, or Robert Downey as they are all very good in this film.
-You are the real Zodiac killer and want to see if they captured your story to your liking.
Don’t see this movie if…
-You can’t handle violent images, there are a few moments that are somewhat graphic and shocking.
-You hated the 70s because of the clothes. The wardrobe is very time sensitive and quite entertaining.
-You get bored easily. This is a LONG movie, though it doesn’t feel as long as it is because it is very engaging.
I was lucky enough to see this as a prescreening last night thanks to the greatness of 570 KLIF. Good times.
Zodiac
-In theaters starting tomorrow-
IMDB Synopsis:
Based on the Robert Graysmith books about the real life notorious Zodiac, a serial killer who terrorized San Francisco with a string of seemingly random murders during the 1960s and 1970s.
Chris’s review:
This movie is about more than the unsolved Zodiac murders in the 70s. This is a movie about obsession, pride, friendship, justice, and a plethora of other topics. The story develops in layers, introducing more main characters as it rolls along its massive 2 hour 40 minute run time. Prime among the handful of characters is Jake Gyllenhaal’s Robert Graysmith. Graysmith wrote the best-selling Zodiac book over a period of years as he became further and further obsessed with the case. We mainly follow 3 stories throughout the movie: Graysmith’s, the detective assigned to the case (Toschi (Ruffalo)), as well as a roughly chronological story of the Zodiac’s killings. These stories flow together seamlessly and alternate the lead at varying times throughout the film which keeps the pace tolerable and interesting.
This brings me to my first and most overriding point. This script is EXCELLENT! Not only does James Vanderbilt (screenplay Basic, Darkness Falls) tell the story in an engaging way by interweaving 3 different angles but the most noticeable thing is that the script was really quite funny. I know that doesn’t make much sense in a movie about a serial killer that ran amok and was never caught, but hear me out. The characters feel incredibly real because the script allows them to interact like real people with humor, and a certain amount of lightness despite the heavy subject matter. We sat in a relatively full theater, as it was a free prescreening for a radio station, and I was continually surprised by the giggles that would ripple through the crowd at a well written moment of subtle humor. Don’t get me wrong, this is not roll on the floor laughs like a Wes Anderson movie, just the incredibly deft use a one liner or funny reaction placed correctly to break the tension.
Next, I’ll touch on the performances briefly. Jake is solid, though he is playing a character that he is comfortable in, so solid should be the expected. Ruffalo is notable, especially considering he hasn’t done anything I have been remotely interested in seeing since The Last Castle. Robert Downey is excellent, as he usually is. Everyone else basically plays a supporting role to these 3, but none stood out as a detriment to the cast.
Now, on to David Fincher, a director that appears on my top 20 favorite films list with the wonderful film Se7en. I have to say he was mostly underwhelming. Not that I took distinct note of anything that I felt he did poorly, but I also didn’t see anything as visually stimulating as his work in Se7en. Possibly he relies heavily on his directors of photography? It WAS 2 different guys, so it could be.
Anywho, that is unimportant really. Let me explain my ranking of this film, as this was my first half score. This is a REALLY strong 3 or a low end 4. Basically, it would be worth owning, but I couldn’t see myself watching it over and over again. I would certainly recommend it highly and would love to see it again someday, so it may very well find its way in to my DVD collection. Thus, the 3.5/5 rating.
Chris’s recommendations:
See this movie if…
-You liked Se7en or any other dark serial killer mystery thrillers.
-You like Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, or Robert Downey as they are all very good in this film.
-You are the real Zodiac killer and want to see if they captured your story to your liking.
Don’t see this movie if…
-You can’t handle violent images, there are a few moments that are somewhat graphic and shocking.
-You hated the 70s because of the clothes. The wardrobe is very time sensitive and quite entertaining.
-You get bored easily. This is a LONG movie, though it doesn’t feel as long as it is because it is very engaging.
posted by Joe Punchface at 9:17 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home