The World Beyond BetterMost > The Culture Tent
ZODIAC
southendmd:
--- Quote from: MaineWriter on March 03, 2007, 07:47:30 pm ---Do you mean other Jake movies? He was in both The Good Girl and Bubble Boy....
L
--- End quote ---
Very good, Leslie, but I was thinking of something more, umm, iconic. And a bit older. And no Jake.
I'll give you a hint: ducks and stamps.
twistedude:
Another county heard from. very well done movie. I recognized the guy, but can't remember from were...if IMDb is (finally!) up and running again I'll go look him up, that's what.
I got a little Zodiac button, the circle with the cross in it, on black. The theater also handed out some great DVDs to people with lucky tickets.
When the criminologist said "I never saw anybodythat ambidextertous," I raised a fist in triumph...but it turns out, I was wrong...probably.
Scott6373:
At two hours and forty minutes without commercial breaks, "Zodiac" would have faired better as a CBS miniseries, with commercial breaks, than a feature film. Director David Fincher seemes to have consciously toned down the imaginative muse that served him well in his other films. The result was, despite moments of true thrill and fear, a laconic, drawn out and at times downright boring film.
I could immediately understand why the film treatment of Robert Graysmith's true-crime bestseller would be very difficult to translate into a film that could sustain the level of fear and entertainment that it needed in order to succeed. The time period stretched over some twenty years, with periods when nothing happens. Zodiacs own sporadic communications with the authorities could well have caused the collapse of this screenplay, which after the first hour leave the movie goer feeling like it was time to go to bed and watch the rest the next night.
While there were some excellent performances, and some brave attempts at excellent performances, the actors portraying the two main characters were the weak links in the film. Both Mark Ruffalo as Inspector David Toschi, and Jake Gyllenhaal as San Francisco Chronicle political cartoonist, turned true-crime author Robert Graysmith, seemed miserably miscast. Neither actor were of sufficient age to carry off their respective roles, and in the case of Gyllenhaal, he appeared to de-age as his charectars obsession with Zodiac began destroying everything in his life. There was very little in the way of flesh to his portrayal of Graysmith, which made it difficult to care about why he became so enthralled with the serial killer. Ruffalo faired better as Toschi, in part, because much of his performance was paired with the ever entertaining Anthony Edwards as his investigating partner, who eventually requests a transfer off the case and out of the homicide department. Stand out performances from Robert Downey Jr as the self-destrucitve Chronicle crime reporter Paul Avery, and John Carroll Lynch as the only real suspect in the killings kept me watching whenever they were on screen.
The screenplays largest fault was the far to quick fading of Toschi's obsession, and Graysmiths taking up of the investigation. It was around the time that Toschi began to not care, that I also began to feel the same way.
MaineWriter:
By and large, Scott, I agree with you. I don't think I'd be quite as harsh overall, but I do think that there were opportunities missed that could have made this a much better movie.
Jake was great to look at but unfortunately, he is rapidly turning into an actor who plays...Jake. He had so many Jake mannerisms and expressions, which were also Jack mannerisms and expressions. When he was Jack they were new to me (since I hadn't really paid attention to Jake in the other movies I had seen him in), but then came Jarhead with Jake playing Jake and now this.
L
ifyoucantfixit:
Well im not sure what people were seeing ,, but obviously not the same movie that i saw...Yes it was long. However we knew that going in. It did not seem over long to me at all. I found it facinating and totally captivating, from the beginning until the end...and, i thought the acting by all the ones in the movie, complete, and great. In fairness, to the people that saw a different Jake, it is because he didnt overplay his role. If he had (fleshed)
out his role, or shown more of himself, and or his family. It would have been
concieved as an actor using his celebrity to be a prima donna. He played the
part as the character he was cast to play. He wasnt supposed to be a romantic leading man. He was a nerd. and a nerd with a particular facination..that was puzzles..He found the ultimate puzzle to solve. He then
proceeded to solve, said puzzle, and he was still a nerd..I dont know one nerd that is particularly interesting, as a character. Except for maybe Bill Gates. and that is merely because he is a very rich nerd..
Secondly I thought Mark Ruffulo was specially great. I thought he played
the part of the normally take charge cop, that was increasingly frustrated, both by the case, and the superiors, giving him no help in trying to get the man under arrest. He was, also not overshadowing, to the story. Anthony
Edwards was his usually believable self, and charming, and funny and a great
pal that takes his partners,, people treats everywhere with them, in order\
to keep him pacified.
Of course the character of Avery was well played and very memorable as
Robt. Downey Jr. always is. His character was more meaty, and he also had
the added advantage of playing himself to a large extent. That was predictably cute, and endearing..Loved the part with the aqua velva drinks...
Which brings me to the rest of the review of this teriffic movie. It had
volumes and volumes of humor..Making it worth the watch for that, if nothing else,, I have not read the book, but I am assuming that was written
in and converted to the movie. So by that very reason alone , i will now seek out the books, and read those..
So for the over all impression, I think it was great, perfect cast, and the
Lee character was very good and extremely ominous and scary. Im giving
it a total two thumbs up... If you like mysteries, or solving puzzles janice
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