"Zodiac"

Quote of the day:
“I’m the kind of writer that people think other people are reading.”
--V.V. Naipaul

The movie “Zodiac” is a popular rental right now, and it’s easy to understand why.

It’s sort of a true-crime thriller, but not exactly. While there is some mystery and suspense about who the serial killer is, the film is much richer than just that.

“Zodiac” is a carefully-woven story involving several police agencies, a reporter, a cartoonist and some strange characters. I found myself getting very involved in how the investigation was being done. The feel is a little like “Law and Order,” but much deeper and without the punctuation between scenes.

There are lots of excellent actors, including Mark Ruffalo and Jake Gyllenhaal playing the leads. Robert Downey Jr. plays a great boozer, and Anthony Edwards is back from the ER. You may not recognize him.

I guarantee you’ll be creeped out by John Carroll Lynch, who is exceptional. You may remember him from “Fargo.” He played the decoy-painting husband of Frances McDormand.