Zodiac

David Fincher's Zodiac (2007) is a superlative film. An excellent mixture of character study and crime saga, it works on both levels as a compelling drama about obsession.

In the late '60s and early '70s, San Francisco is terrorized by a mysterious killer known only as the Zodiac, who kills seemingly without motivation. He sends taunting letters to the San Francisco Chronicle, piquing the interest of crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.) and cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal). The journalists' private investigation clashes with SFPD Detective Dave Toschi's (Mark Ruffalo) probe into the case. Toschi chases down a number of suspects, including pedophile Arthur Leigh Allen (John Carroll Lynch), but hard evidence exonerates them. The investigation continues long after the killings stop: a death threat drives Avery to drink, Toschi is accused of forging a Zodiac letter and Graysmith loses his job and wife (Chloe Sevigney) to his obsession.

The greatest police movies (In Cold Blood comes to mind) show just how hard a policeman's job is: having to navigate redtape, corruption, overlapping jurisdictions, egos, conflicting evidence, lack of manpower and often-hostile media coverage. Often, pursuing the suspect is a secondary concern. "A policeman's job is easy only in a police state," remarks Charlton Heston in Touch of Evil. Zodiac highlights this difficulty with its complex portrayal of a convoluted, unsolvable case.

Toschi's investigation is a complete mess. Zodiac's taunting letters and phone calls are a headscratcher, but copycats and cranks compound the situation even more. The Zodiac either takes credit or receives blame for completely unrelated crimes. The media turns Zodiac's rampage into a circus, from Avery's shenanigans to a media-hungry lawyer (Brian Cox) contacting Zodiac through a talk show. The movie strongly hints at Allen's guilt (he certainly comes off as a creep), but his fingerprints and handwriting don't match the killer's and the main witness against him is inconsistent. Without good luck or strong leads the investigation stalls.

In this sense, Zodiac is one of Hollywood's most mature police films. Cop movies generally either treat circumstantial evidence as proof or opt for brainless action, but Fincher avoids both. At one point, Toschi walks out of a screening of Dirty Harry, whose psychotic killer is loosely inspired by the Zodiac. Fantasy cops like Harry Callahan are fun but their shoot first mentality is dangerous in reality. As 10 Rillington Place demonstrates, sending an innocent man the gallows isn't merely an intellectual argument; in that case, the real killer continued his murders for years. Unfortunately, this nuanced approach allows some criminals to slip through the cracks, and Toschi's adherence to principle only earns him grief.

The other side of the coin is a fascinating portrayal of obsession, focusing on the journalists who covered the case. Avery's outrageous tactics (following his own leads, talking to out-of-town cops) screw up the police investigation and ruin his own reputation. But at least Avery's a crime reporter; Graysmith's interest is unfathomable to anyone. A stray comment by his wife, years after the fact, causes him to restart the investigation on his own, following the slenderest leads beyond reason. The scenes of Graysmith's descent into monomania are extremely disturbing, and make a stronger impression than the bloody killings early on.

David Fincher's directoral output is hit-or-miss but he's on solid ground here. Harris Savide's digital photography is some of the best I've seen, creating the perfect moody, docudrama atmosphere. Fincher seamlessly integrates CGI to recreate '70s San Francisco; aside from some showy scenes (a cab's night time journey, the time-elapse construction of the Transamerica Pyramid) the computer work is nearly undetectable. Fincher handles the killings tastefully, not skimping on gore but avoiding sensational effects.

Robert Downey Jr. revived his career with this film, his eccentric Avery a good prototype for Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes. Jake Gyllenhaal nails Graysmith's strange mannerisms and neurotic obsession brilliantly. Best of all, however, is Mark Ruffalo (Shutter Island). Toschi inspired Steve McQueen's Bullitt (another Hollywood supercop), but Ruffalo subtly portrays him as a good detective worn down by a difficult, frustrating case, unable to move on with his life.

The supporting cast is perfect. Brian Cox (Nicholas & Alexandra) is superbly slimy as Melvin Belli, the attorney who develops a strange affinity towards the Zodiac. John Carroll Lynch (Gran Torino) makes an excellent creep; even if he isn't the Zodiac he comes off as a first-class nutter. Chloe Sevigny is sweet as Graysmith's wife, unable to cope with his obsession. Various other cops and officials are played by Anthony Edwards, Philip Baker Hall, Elias Koteas (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Donal Logue (The Patriot) and Dermot Mulroney (J. Edgar), all in top form.

Zodiac is a wonderful crime saga. By focusing on the difficulties of police work and the pitfalls of personal obsession, it earns points above its peers.