Jake Gyllenhaal: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Robert Graysmith - Zodiac

When it comes to stories of obsession, David Fincher's got the every other director currently working in Hollywood beat. From the behind-the-scenes tales of endless takes and rehearsals that stretch on for months, it's not hard to see why he's drawn to such stories €“ or how he manages to coax such electrifying performances out of his actors. Without a doubt his piece de resistance was 2007's Zodiac, a painstakingly true-to-life account of the search for the titular serial killer who plagued San Francisco during the seventies, and was never caught. Adapted from Graysmith's own book, Fincher puts the author front and centre with Jake Gyllenhaal ably taking up the part of the newspaper artist with a penchant for puzzles whose obsession with the case takes over his life. Not only is it impressive that the young actor manages to hold his own against such titans as Mark Ruffalo and Robert Downey Jr, but also in that he imbues Graysmith with enough humanity that you understand why he becomes so taken with solving the case €“ and why it's so saddening when the rest of his life collapses around him. Sadly not all Gyllenhaal performances are created equal...