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Adam_S · 02-18-2007, 09:49 PM

Zodiac - 6 of 10

scratch Zodiac off that list in the post above this.

David Fincher's latest film is memorable as the first all digital (no tape, no film, only data workflow) film to be produced. Beautifully shot with the Thomson Viper (a joy to work with, btw), the film looks incredible. The opening titles are vintage, and immediately set the tone back to the seventies.

But the film is overlong and rather procedural, it has none of the sizzle or tightness of All the President's Men or Serpico, although the film has it's moments where it's almost there. Trimmed of ten or twenty minutes this film could be mesmerizing.

As it is it's frustratingly uneven as a script and as a final product. It's all over the place (literally, it spans 30 years).

What saves the film are four utterly wonderful performances. Jake Gyllenhall in a career best as an awkward, unimposing cartoonist who becomes gradually consumed by the case being studied all around him in the offices of the San Franciso Chronicle. Chloe Sevigny thanklessly playing an underwritten woman (this is a fincher movie, it's a triumph there's even a woman in it), but improves the whole film from her presence in her scenes with Gyllenhaal. Robert Downey Jr, at first looking much like Al Pacino in Serpico, and coming across like Dustin Hoffman in All the President's Men, before his character descends into scenery chewing land. And the best for last, an absolutely superb performance that drives the entire film and causes the whole movie to work just on the sake of the skill and determination of the performer, Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo, not Fincher, is the main reason the film isn't a disaster, it's an incredible piece of work.

Adam

02-18-2007, 09:49 PM	#34 of 186
Adam_S *Adam_S* Member Location: Marina del Rey, CA Join Date: Feb 2001 Local Time: 09:58 PM Local Date: 10-11-2008 Posts: 5,029	Re: 2007 Film List Zodiac - 6 of 10 scratch Zodiac off that list in the post above this. David Fincher's latest film is memorable as the first all digital (no tape, no film, only data workflow) film to be produced. Beautifully shot with the Thomson Viper (a joy to work with, btw), the film looks incredible. The opening titles are vintage, and immediately set the tone back to the seventies. But the film is overlong and rather procedural, it has none of the sizzle or tightness of All the President's Men or Serpico, although the film has it's moments where it's almost there. Trimmed of ten or twenty minutes this film could be mesmerizing. As it is it's frustratingly uneven as a script and as a final product. It's all over the place (literally, it spans 30 years). What saves the film are four utterly wonderful performances. Jake Gyllenhall in a career best as an awkward, unimposing cartoonist who becomes gradually consumed by the case being studied all around him in the offices of the San Franciso Chronicle. Chloe Sevigny thanklessly playing an underwritten woman (this is a fincher movie, it's a triumph there's even a woman in it), but improves the whole film from her presence in her scenes with Gyllenhaal. Robert Downey Jr, at first looking much like Al Pacino in Serpico, and coming across like Dustin Hoffman in All the President's Men, before his character descends into scenery chewing land. And the best for last, an absolutely superb performance that drives the entire film and causes the whole movie to work just on the sake of the skill and determination of the performer, Mark Ruffalo. Ruffalo, not Fincher, is the main reason the film isn't a disaster, it's an incredible piece of work. Adam top 20 films 2008 film list My DVDs; S&S List 62...212 AFI lists: - DONE! Last edited by Adam_S : 02-18-2007 at 10:07 PM.