Zodiac

Zodiac (2007)
Starring: Jake Gyllenhaal, Robert Downey Jr., and Mark Ruffalo
Directed by: David Fincher
SC=6 V=8 C=6
Grade: A+

I love movies about crimes...I don't know why...I'm not that violent... Anyway, this is one of the best I've seen, sticking very close to the real-life story. Paul Avery (Downey Jr.) is a star reporter with the San Francisco Chronicle. Also working in the office is Robert Graysmith (Gyllenhaal), a political cartoonist with a love of puzzles and no respect. A letter arrives at the Chronicle telling of two murders committed. In the letter, the person that wrote it took responsibility for both and sent a cypher to be published in the next edition. The paper doesn't take him seriously, which leads to more killings and more letters, from a man now calling himself "the Zodiac". At first kept out of the loop, when Graysmith solves one of the killer's cyphers and makes several guesses about the killer's next move, Avery starts sharing information with him. As they form a partnership, detectives Dave Toschi (Ruffalo) and Bill Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) start investigating the case when the killer crosses into their county. As many obstacles enter the picture and many years pass, it becomes clear to most of the people involved that the Zodiac will never be caught. While he is fading in the public interest, Graysmith is only becoming more obsessed. As his obsession grows and he gets closer to the truth, the more he is putting himself and his family in harm's way.