Zodiac (2007)

Chronicling the investigation that sought to capture the Zodiac killer of 1970s San Francisco, and the role the media played in both fulfilling the killer's fantasies of fame and announcing his crimes to the public, David Fincher's latest film is also his most mature is the handling of its complex film. Evoking films such as 'All The President's Men', 'Zodiac' is among those films seeking to reinvent the politicized films of 1970s Hollywood for the contemporary age. The attention to detail in reenacting the gruesome attacks (from which victims often survived to be haunted for the rest of their lives) is a tribute to the way the film attempts to present exactly what happened without a bias. It gives nothing away to say the case was never solved and whilst Fincher points towards the most likely candidates, their characterisation never goes so far as to present us with a clear-cut villain.

The detail of the investigation, by a journalist (Robert Downey Jr.), a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) and a detective (Mark Ruffalo), is also reminiscent of Kurosawa's 'High and Low', in which every element of a kidnap rescue is revealed to us, as opposed to the Hollywood tradition of only documenting those most exciting moments. 'Zodiac', however, retains the excitement by always emphasisng the tension that arrives from an unknown assailant and the games he plays with those pursuing him - much like Fincher's earlier 'Seven'. The story is told from the different perspectives of the three men, providing us with as much information as possible, but also allowing us to witness the manner in which the case consumes the lives of those unable to resolve the evidence. Each man is affected differently but it's the persistant Gyllenhaal we stick with, and thus stay closer to the case.

The film is successful in involving us with its frustrations, and has the contemporary relevance of a city living in fear that any of them could be next - particularly potent post-9/11. Fincher has revealed a great talent for storytelling and tense drama without the gimmicks of 'Seven' and 'Fight Club', and the fine performances, cinematography and script all play their part in confirming an exciting counter-culture in contemporary Hollywood.