Film Review

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The Conspirator
Robert Redford clearly portrays himself as an activist but is awful at balancing his political viewpoints with storytelling. In The Conspirator, he at least has the courtesy to give a story. Despite solid performances and the promise of a complex narrative, Redford finally undermines his message of "Justice for All" by victimizing the criminal.
The set is at the end of the Civil War, the mood is that of celebration but John Wilkes Booth goes and assassinates Lincoln. Perpetrators of this horrible act are quickly rounded up and brought before a military tribunal. Among the accused is Mary Surratt (Robin Wright) who is accused of providing the perpetrators with boarding facilities which also doubled as the assasins`headquarters. The Conspirator is however not Mrs. Stuartt`s story. It`s a legal drama which revolves around her attorney Frederick Aiken, (James McAvoy) who at first was reluctant to represent her following that he was a union man. However as the story unfolds, Aiken comes to understand and realizes that Surratt is being pushed through the trial and her only salvation is giving up the other conspirators and her son as well.
Through the movie, Redford wants to convey that all people should be treated equally before the law. He stresses that everyone deserves a fair trial. His failure comes about because he portrays Mrs. Stuartt as absolutely clean. Of course it would be wrong for anyone to be convicted simply for hosting terrorists unintentionally. Why then is she on trial in the first place. I want to positively point out however, that Mr. Redford had at least supported the current cry of our nation`s quest for civil rights. Thank you sir.
Zodiac
Opening on 1969 when two teenagers are murdered in a parking lot, the film jumps some four weeks as three newspapers are contacted by the murderer who calls himself "Zodiac." claiming responsibility for the crime, zodiac promises to kill again unless each paper prints a cipher code revealing his identity. While tabloid crime reporter Paul Avery (Robert Downey Jr) is assigned to the case, a quiet "boy-scout" Graysmith (Jake Gyllenhaal), a cartoonist at the same paper, observes all keenly. The cops who are meanwhile out to catch the zodiac, Inspectors William Armstrong (Anthony Edwards) and Dave Toschi (Mark Ruffalo), are given the run-around because it seems the killer is always one-step ahead.
Such is the economic style with which Fincher directs. Nearly all of the 'action' happens within the first 40 minutes. The remaining 2 hours boringly sets out, but to detail just how unmasking the Zodiac killer ruined many more lives than just those he took.