Zodiac

***1/2 Stars

Zodiac is David Fincher's (Panic Room, Seven) first film since 2002. Simply said, it was worth the wait.

An all star cast shines in this ultra gritty thriller that, like last month's Breach, deserves to be released towards the later half of 2007 so it won't be snubbed out of next years Oscar race. The cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Anthony Edwards, and a fabulous Robert Downey Jr., who gives his all as a confident, yet incoherent journalist named Paul Avery, who unevenly guides Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal) into the world of the infamous Zodiac Killer.

A serial killer (nicknamed himself The Zodiac) in the San Francisco Bay Area taunts police with his letters and cryptic messages. We follow the investigators and reporters in this lightly fictionalized account of the true 1970's case as they search for the murderer, becoming obsessed with the case. Based on Robert Graysmith's book, the movie's focus is the lives and careers of Graysmith, the detectives, and newspaper people.

Not only is this a great suspense film, but also a fascinating study of journalism, and how the media can impact a series of crimes. In this case, we never truly know for sure who the Zodiac killer really was, so through this you may find the ending unsatisfying. But I guarantee you, that after this film you will drive and/or walk very quickly and lock your door the minute you get home.