The collected works of ScottyB

Zodiac (2007)

Went and saw this last night.

“A serial killer 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 the detectives and newspaper people.”

Most of us know at least a little background on the 1969- Zodiac killings and those that know it well, are aware that the case still remains officially unsolved, so you really go into this film expecting an open ending. From the outset, I knew this wasn’t going to be a bloodbath followed by the good-guy taking victory type flick.

At 158 min this isn’t one I’d recommend beginning to view at ~9:15 on a work night. I however, didn’t realise the films running time and ended up quite tired by the conclusion.

That said, it wasn’t a boring film - far from it - just a long one.

The actors are great, Gyllenhaal is his usual quirky, brilliant self and Downey Jr. is fantastic - both as comic relief and as the ‘off the rails’ persona. There are plenty of supporting roles and familiar faces to complete the line-up.

It is a dark and gloomy look into the world of a detective and the interpretations of evidence.

One I look forward to watching earlier in the evening on DVD

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?

Why is it that no matter what colour bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Why ask why?

I’ve found myself asking myself (that was very Austin Powers wasn’t it) why quite a lot lately. Why has my car insurance gone up when, this year, I’ve now earned and hold a full, lifetime no-claims bonus? Why does a new printer cost $49 when the replacement ink cartridges cost $65? Why can’t I buy a plain and simple Nokia mobile phone with bluetooth without having to get tied into a 24 month plan I don’t need? Why is the great Australian dream of owning your own home getting so much more difficult to achieve?

There are more whys - but at the risk of sounding like a broken record, I really can’t list them all. Somewhere along the way the World lost the plot a little I think. And since then we’ve been forever trying to catch up.