Zodiac, Black Snake Moan, Seven Swords
See it or skip it? This week's new movie releases By Paul Matthews
Zodiac
While it retains the style and punch of his previous films Seven and Fight Club, Zodiac is the most precise, subtle and mature thriller director David Fincher has ever made. On August 1st, 1969, the San Francisco Chronicle newsroom received a letter claiming responsibility for three seemingly indiscriminate murders. The letter also contained a cryptogram of 408 characters, which the killer claimed contained the secret to his identity. James Vanderbilt’s taut script follows dissolute crime reporter Paul Avery (a film-stealing Robert Downey Jr.), nerdy political cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhal), reputable detective Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) and his bashful partner, William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards), as they lose themselves in a labyrinthine psychological hunt for the killer. Fincher handles the script’s twists, turns and minute shifts in character with a master’s sure hand. For a detail-heavy, two-and-a-half-hour film, Zodiac feels short and light on its feet. Don’t expect typical Hollywood resolution though: Fincher’s film is about the destructive effects of unresolved obsession. Expect to be wading through the case’s myriad particulars long after leaving the theatre. SEE IT NOW
Zodiac opens Friday at the Varsity (55 Bloor St. W.), Beach Cinemas (1651 Queen St. E.), Scotiabank Theatre (259 Richmond St. W.) and others.
