great, great film. manages to simultaneously create a palpable sense of exhaustion while at the same time keeps you totally engrossed in its cavalcade of details, minutia, false leads, etc. it's so great to see a film about a familiar subject presented in way you've never seen before. great freaking cast, all well chosen and none trying to outdo each other; believably played by everyone, from stars to characters actors alike. i was a little creeped out that gyllenhaal didn't age throughout the 15 years his character spans. maybe that was an artistic choice; emphasising how graysmith is stuck in time, so to speak, obsessing over the case. nice to see chloe sevigny doing something mainstream for once, too.
one thing that immediately jumped out to me was the digital photography. the depth of field is just astonishing; i honestly could've sworn i was watching the latest pixar offering at certain points (certain people almost look like the humans near the end of happy feet). i thought this was somewhat ironic since the film shows the technical limitations of its era and how they affected the case. using the old-school paramount logo at the beginning was a nice touch.
so much to talk about and mull over, but i'll end here. definitely a dvd purchase, and the first great film i've seen at my mall theatre since children of men.
icecreamdisco rating: 5 chloe sevigny sellouts out of a possible 5. yup, a rare perfect rating from moi! cherish it.