Zodiac (2007) ****

Zodiac isn't just a film about the Bay Area's Zodiac killer of the late '60's and early '70's. It's a film about the men that become obsessed with finding and understanding the killer. The film follows two cops (Dermot Mulroney and Anthony Edwards), a reporter (Robert Downey, Jr.) and a cartoonist (Jake Gyllenhaal) who all become wrapped up in the Zodiac murders and the obsession that comes with the hunt.

What's interesting about Zodiac is that it shows how each of the four deal with the neverending case with the story mainly focused on Mulroney and Gyllenhaal's characters. The cop is obsessed with duty and catching the perp. The cartoonist is obsessed with the case as almost a sick hobby that ends up totally consuming his life.

Directed by David Fincher, who gave us the great Fight Club, Zodiac is a dark tale that shows a San Francisco that will quickly remind you of Don Siegel's version of the city in Dirty Harry (the film was based on the Zodiac case and makes an appearance in this film). But in the end the film is about the people that had to deal with the case and the toll that years of searching and loose ends takes on people for a long period of time. Sure, Zodiac can be creepy at times, but it's also a dark people piece finely acted by the cast.