Zodiac. In brief

Saw Zodiac last night. Not entirely a masterpiece but a brilliantly crafted, superbly assured, mediative piece of filmmaking nonetheless. Fincher clearly knows his 70s cinema and the performances are all strong, although the film loses a certain something when Robert Downey Jr's not onscreen. Those expecting another Se7en may well be disappointed, but anyone who likes their moviemaking smart, crisp and thoughtful will be delighted. At 156 minutes, it's not short but there's never a dull moment and Fincher's use of the Viper HD camera is another nail in the coffin of those who insist on shooting on film. Masterful.