Robert Downey tribute

email this story
read comments (21)
post a comment

"Zodiac's real protagonist is the hive-mind of obsession blanketing the Bay Area. By and large, the human characters in this tale aren't given your standard (and often cliched) screenwriting tools of backstory or personal quirks or fleshed-out lives. These actors have to fend for themselves, living off the scraps James Vanderbilt's screenplay throws at them.

"This is precisely the kind of situation in which Robert Downey thrives. He brings to Paul Avery's early scenes a kind of swaggering, wisecracking aura, shot through with vulnerability -- which pays dividends as the film's relentless trajectory brings these characters down.

"Compulsion and self-destruction are nothing new to Downey, whether he's acting them out in fiction or in real life. And in its portrait of a society coming out of the 60s and plunging headlong into (and out of) the 70s, Zodiac becomes a film about those very things.

"Even though he gets significantly less screen time than nominal lead Jake Gyllenhaal, Downey becomes the film's chief human connect -- the embodiment of nobility and charm, boozing and snorting his way into oblivion as the society he knows crumbles around him. It's absolutely heartbreaking, and it is absolutely one of the best performances of the year." -- from a 1.10.08 Bilge Ebiri piece, posted by New York's "Vulture" column.

"Cloverfield" baby<< previous | next >>Red States, Blue States

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on January 10, 2008 at 2:48 PM

comment #1

MilkMan says ...

Eat it, suckers. Looks like the Zodiac is finally pulling out of the station.
Alllll ABBOARRDDD!!!

Posted by MilkMan at January 10, 2008 3:40 PM

comment #2

Edward says ...

Robert Downey, Jr. is one of the finest screen actors around. The fact that he's staring in IRON MAN is reason enought to get excited.

Posted by Edward at January 10, 2008 3:44 PM

comment #3

Gordie Lachance says ...

Possibly the most earnest championing of one-dimensional characters I've ever seen.

I'd like to think that a movie with any chance of garnering a Best Picture nomination would at least pick up some noms in 2 of the other 4 main catagories. I don't see that happening here.

Posted by Gordie Lachance at January 10, 2008 3:47 PM

comment #4

T. Holly says ...

Bilge has a serious mancrush.

Posted by T. Holly at January 10, 2008 3:55 PM

comment #5

Craig Kennedy says ...

Can you blame him T? Say what you want about Zodiac, Downey Jr was great in it and I for one am glad he's gotten his act together.

Posted by Craig Kennedy at January 10, 2008 4:09 PM

comment #6

T. Holly says ...

But he never recovers in the movie. What happens in real life, does he pull a Chet Baker and die a year later?

Posted by T. Holly at January 10, 2008 4:39 PM

comment #7

MickTravis says ...

Seriously. For a while, he was practically getting busted for using on his way out of rehab. It was exasperating.

Once again, since this is a Zodiac forum, I'd like to take this opportunity to bitch about the fact that the actors' and writer/producers' tracks were combined into one very crowded, fairly bi-polar commentary. I'll stop now.

Posted by MickTravis at January 10, 2008 4:43 PM

comment #8

BurmaShave says ...

Don't get me wrong, I love Downey, but I think the film absolutely belonged to Ruffalo's Toschi.

Posted by BurmaShave at January 10, 2008 4:52 PM

comment #9

Walter Sobchak says ...

Oy! Again with the "Zodiac".

Posted by Walter Sobchak at January 10, 2008 5:31 PM

comment #10

rocco says ...

Bilge Ebiri is full of shit (is that someone's star wars name??)..."Animal crackers" isn't a quirk? An annoying, anacronistic, pathetic-attempt-at-depth quirk?? The horrendously acted scenes between Sevigny and Gyllenhall aren't there to flesh out any lives??

Give me a break...people are now actively and flagrantly making things up in attempt to gaslight non-believers into seeing its "genius"...It was a very good film, one that I looked forward to for months...now, I'm beginning to hate it.

Posted by rocco at January 10, 2008 5:50 PM

comment #11

rocco says ...

...and yes, I noticed the "by and large" qualifier...which happens to be one of the laziest and sloppiest ways to introduce a thesis, as it then gives license to posit anything, no matter how erroneous, without saying anything definitive...

...by and large, Obama was victorious in New Hampshire (except fot 8000 or so tearful votes for Hillary)...

...by and large, Che was an inspirational historical figure (save for his paranoid, megalomaniacal murderous rampage)...

...by and large, Jeff Wells sticks to movies and tv (but has been known to take a detour as a political pundit or professional taker-down of all who are undeserving of Hollywood accolades)

...

Posted by rocco at January 10, 2008 6:10 PM

comment #12

romeoisbleeding says ...

Thanks for posting this Jeff. You know how I feel about this movie. And Downey was fabulous in it. Give him an Oscar nomination for gods sake.

Posted by romeoisbleeding at January 10, 2008 6:32 PM

comment #13

gr81lives says ...

GEEZ ENOUGH ALREADY WITH ZODIAC!!

ARE THEY PAY YOU WELLS TO KEEP PUSHING THIS?????

LETT'S FACE IT GOOD MOVIE ANOTHER SCREW UP BY PARMOUNT WHEN TO RELEASE IT

BUT ENOUGH ON THIS!!!

Posted by gr81lives at January 10, 2008 6:57 PM

comment #14

T. Holly says ...

Yeah, but RDJr's so cute, what a lucky cigarette.

Posted by T. Holly at January 10, 2008 7:04 PM

comment #15

The Winchester says ...

What's this Zodiac movie everyone seems to be talking about?

Posted by The Winchester at January 10, 2008 11:31 PM

comment #16

Bilge says ...

Delbomber: "By and large" does get overused, but the fact remains that ZODIAC isn't really a movie about its characters, and it doesn't really offer much in the way of traditional character development. (I will agree with you that the Gyllenhaal-Sevigny scenes, which I don't much like, qualify. That Sevigny pretty much drops out of the movie eventually shows you where the script's allegiances lie.) That's one of the things I found so bracing about it. You may choose to disagree.

And yes, this is my real name. We can't all be called "Delbomber." (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Posted by Bilge at January 11, 2008 12:00 AM

comment #17

rocco says ...

Well thanks for the level-headed reply, Bilge...apologies for my inflammatory tone, my ire isn't really with you as much as Jeff for his incessant ramming of 'Zodiac' down the collective throat of his readers. While this is likely blurb #1 or #2 for you on this subject, it's #57 for Jeff...

It's a good movie that should be seen by more people. I disagree with your central thesis, but probably could have been a bit more tactful...

...and I never meant to imply there is anything *wrong* with your name, it just sounds like something sprung from the mind of George Lucas.

Cheers.

Posted by rocco at January 11, 2008 7:31 AM

comment #18

MickTravis says ...

Del, you just caved like a Kentucky mine.

Posted by MickTravis at January 11, 2008 8:50 AM

comment #19

rocco says ...

yeah mick, i knew some people might read my response as weakness, but really, I have no fight with Bilge, I still have no idea who he is and his name still sounds to me like a concocted star wars character, but attacking him was off cue...it's Jeff's relentlessness with which I'm exhausted...when someone takes the time to reply gracefully after you've called them full of shit, the least one can do is clarify his position.

Posted by rocco at January 11, 2008 11:01 AM

comment #20