Director Fincher, who brought us Se7en and Fight Club, once again demonstrates his visual flair with some brilliantly orchestrated set pieces. Fincher ensures a brisk pace despite the endurance-testing, indulgent 157-minute running time and a surfeit of historical detail, culled from interviews, archive footage and Graysmith’s personal recollections in his book of the same name. Attention to detail is meticulous. Gyllenhaal takes top billing as the quiet observer, who almost sabotages his marriage to wife Melanie (Chloe Sevigny) by trying to crack Zodiac’s devious clues. However, it’s Downey Jr’s film as the glory-chasing newsman who almost loses his sanity in the pursuit of a headline. His character’s spectacular fall from grace, physically and emotionally wrecked by his addictions, comes uncomfortably close to echoing the actor’s life. To this day, Zodiac has not been unmasked and one 340-cipher cryptogram remains unsolved. With the release of Fincher’s intense and enthralling film, the hunt continues. | 
