"Zodiac"

"Zodiac" Movie Poster Larger image

"Zodiac" was on the agenda yesterday afternoon.

I must remember not to drink six or seven glasses of iced tea before going to the movies. Also, I'm fairly certain that the decongestant I take contains something akin to a diuretic. Which means I had to go to the bathroom three times during the movie. Most annoying.

An utterly fascinating experience. Movies that I really find outstanding give me a sense of total sensory submersion. For ever so long, they were the only way I could escape feeling depressed. This was before I knew I was depressed or what that meant.

"Zodiac" is among the most cerebral cinema I've ever seen. It ranks with "Chinatown," "The Two Jakes," "All the President's Men," "Memento." Movies in which the protagonist has to piece together bits and pieces of a puzzle. And some are true; some, false; many, indeterminate. And the puzzle itself may defy set borders.

It evokes the San Francisco of the 70s and 80s beautifully. Movies that show American cities in the past are most difficult to produce. I've read that it would be impossible to shoot "Chinatown" today; the houses and the buildings are just not there.

It's also a movie of rain - drizzles, showers, deluges. Hard and soft rain. And streets, driveways, roads, courtyards with a wet sheen. Wet, misted windows. A sliver of a shot showing rain outside a curtained window.

In the best tradition of film noir, much of the action seems to happen at night. And there are those lovingly done camera shots done from almost at ground level, so that you see the action silhouetted against street lamps

Rather than try to explain Zodiac and the killings, I'll point you in the direction of Wikipedia - Zodiac Killer which tells you more or less than what you want to know. Also visit the link to the film near the end of the article.

In addition to the raw facts of the story, there's also a "Moby Dick" quality to the events. Robert Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), cartoonist at the "San Francisco Chronicle," becomes so obsessed with the case that his wife takes the children and moves to her mother's. She corners Jake and demands to know what it is he wants. Jakes says he wants to find the killer and look him in the eye. (Which eventually, he does or does not, depending if you believe who the Zodiac is.)

What I was least expecting were any number of very sly jokes.

Graysmith and another reporter, Paul Avery (Robert Downey, Jr.), are in a bar. Graysmith has something in front of him that is in a large martini glass, dark blue, with an umbrella and a cherry, and something else. You almost expect to see a tiny goldfish swimming around. It has the look of a Shirley Temple on steroids.

Paul takes a look at the drink and says, "Okay, this can no longer be ignored. What is that you're drinking?" Graysmith replies, "It's an Aqua Velva. I know it looks silly, but try one, and you'll see why I like it."

A few seconds later, the scene shifts to the two of them in a booth, and there are about a dozen empty "Aqua Velva" glasses on the table. And both Graysmith and Avery appear blitzed.

(An "Aqua Velva" is a mixture of "A spring of fresh organic mint; 2 cups high quality vodka; and 1/4 oz of Blue Curacao." See "Anyone know how to make the Aqua Velva drink mentioned in the new movie, "Zodiac"?" for recipe. I love the part about "Be sure when making an infusion with any liquor that you try to find the freshest, pesticide-free ingredients to ensure a delicious flavor in your beverage." Two cups of high-quality vodka. Holy shit!)

Inspector David Toschi (Mark Ruffalo) keeps asking throughout the movie is anyone has any animal crackers. This may be funny in the sense of a of an inspector wanting animal crackers. Or it may have a double meaning in that the Zodiac has a fixation on the book and movie, "The Most Dangerous Game." The most dangerous animal being man.

There's a scene in which someone calls Graysmith at home and asks how the work is going and who'se on the case. "He says him and some colleagues." In the background, you can see his three kids at the dining table sorting through folders.

Although there was a prime suspect, nothing seemed to match - finger prints, guns or handwriting analysis. From the Wikipedia article: "The killer's identity remains unknown. The San Francisco Police Department marked its investigation "inactive" in April 2004 and reopened it some time before March 2007. The case remains open in other jurisdictions as well."

A technical note: see "Wikipedia - Zodiac (film)". "(Director) David Fincher decided to use the digital Thomson Viper to shoot the film. This will be the first time the camera has been used to shoot an entire film. ... "Zodiac" is the first major Hollywood movie that was created without the use of either film or video tape."

PAX! Erin Go Braugh!