Rating of
3/4
Good sign
Bribaba - wrote on 05/03/11
I lived in San Francisco for much of the period covered by this film (not guilty!) and was very impressed with the way the city was simulated 70s style. The look of the film - warm shadows, tight focus - also reflected the movies from that 'golden age of cinema'.
After a strong start I thought the story lost its way in the second half, just as the cops lost theirs as they traipsed down blind alleys. Another problem for me was Jake Gyllenhaal's mannered, and at times hammy performance. Seeing him with Chloe Sevigny made the film suddenly feel small, like an indie movie. All the turns were pretty low key, and so were at least in keeping with the film's pace if not actuality. Nice to see 'Dirty' Harry Callaghan himself getting a namecheck along the way, I suspect that he was closer to the real detective Dave Toschi than Mark Ruffalo’s more cerebral creation.
When the film was good it was outstanding - the first and second murders in particular really racked up the tension, helped no end by Donovan's Hurdy Gurdy Man on the soundtrack, and the excellent cinematography. It’s certainly an impressive achievement, though I think the best of Fincher is yet to come
