Friday Film Noir

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Zodiac (2007) is a crime thriller directed by David Fincher and written by James Vanderbilt, based on true events and the book by Robert Graysmith. The plot follows cartoonist Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr.), and inspector Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) hunting a serial killer in Northern California. Spanning the late 1960s and 1970s, the men decode cryptic letters to track the murderer. After the killings and letters abruptly stop, Graysmith refuses to quit, spending years investigating leads to uncover the killer's identity.

Screenwriter James Vanderbilt spent 18 months conducting interviews and analyzing police records before completing the script. Director David Fincher demanded up to 70 takes per scene, sparking intense frustration and creative friction with Jake Gyllenhaal. An exhausted Robert Downey Jr. left mason jars filled with urine around the set to protest lack of breaks. Mark Ruffalo also expressed exhaustion over the unrelenting schedule and endless retakes. Test screening audiences reacted poorly to the ambiguous, unresolved ending, but Fincher refused to film a definitive, crowd-pleasing conclusion.

2007 • R • 2h 37m
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Holy Unknown Grade: B+
Worldwide Gross: 84M
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