Zodiac sounds of irresolution - and Gyllenhaal updates

With all this talk of broadway plays and musicals, I thought it timely to mention that on 13 July a new musical, Taking Flight, opens in London's Menier Chocolate Factory. I mention it because it is written by David Shire, Zodiac's composer, in partnership with Richard Maltby, Jr. Take Flight tells the 'funny, moving and inspirational stories of the pioneers of flight - the Wright Brothers, Charles Lindbergh andAmelia Earhardt'.


I had little idea that David Shire was a writer of shows, knowing him instead for - of course - Zodiac and the score of All the President's Men. This story has inspired me to relisten to Shire's soundtrack for Zodiac on a CD which has some little added extras, including two photos I've not seen elsewhere and an audio 'easter egg' from Shire's first meeting with David Fincher and sound designer Ren Klyce after seeing Zodiac for the very first time.


Shire explains that originally David Fincher had wished to have no instrumental score for Zodiac, just a backdrop of songs from the period. In the end, Fincher lit Zodiac with forty minutes of new score. 'Irresolution' is the word that Shire uses to describe his composition, comprising as it does a series of fragments which are only heard together towards the end as a resolution of sorts comes about. Robert Graysmith's score reflects his growing obsession and his increasing forcefulness. The score for Graysmith - and for Toschi - is about disharmony/harmony, rather than about melody - the harmony or otherwise of strings, trumpet and French horn for Toschi and piano for Graysmith.


In his conversation with Fincher and Klyce, Shire curiously describes his inspiration - all from Graysmith's book and the script as he had yet to see the fim. He says that the strings provided "the context for murder and sadness... and the loss", trumpets and French horn were for Ruffalo, whom Shire felt lay at the centre of the film, and the piano was for Jake. "It's almost like you can take an instrument for a character. I just feel like there's such dignity to that... it's almost like seeing Claude Rains being tied to a stake and shot.. it has that sort of feeling of going down with dignity... like Al Guiness at the end of the Bridge over the River Kwai - as much as he f**ked up, he tried. I love that."


In other news, speculation still continues on Jake's much hoped for debut on Broadway. The Washington Post has this to say today: 'Last week, Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhaal did a private reading of "Farragut North" (written by playwright and former Dean campaigner Beau Willimon) about the presidential hopes of a charismatic, unorthodox candidate and his staff. The 26-year-old "Brokeback Mountain" star would play the idealistic young communications director sabotaged by old political dogs with dirty tricks, reports the New York Post. If he's cast, it would be Gyllenhaal's Broadway debut. "Jake was a big campaign supporter of mine, so I hope he takes it," Dean told us yesterday. "But I want him to play me." The DNC chairman likes the concept -- "Hell, I'll go to it" -- even if it includes his famous scream. "I'd like to see him do that."


Maggie and her family, as expected, are now in Chicago where she is filming the new Batman movie. The Chicago Sun-Times informs us: 'MAGGIE MOMENTS: In town filming the new ''Batman'' flick, Maggie Gyllenhaal was spied happily shopping with baby daughter Ramona at Jake on Rush (mostly perusing the shoe selections) and dining with fiance Peter Sarsgaard at Le Colonial (reserved under the name ''Gold''). ... After Chicago filming, Gyllenhaal may next head to Broadway to star as Nellie Forbush in a ''South Pacific'' revival. ... It could be a family reunion on the Great White Way, as Maggie's brother Jake Gyllenhaal is thinking of making his Broadway debut in the upcoming political drama ''Farragut North'' -- playing the communications director for an unorthodox presidential candidate, based on Howard Dean.'

So with Maggie in Chicago, is Jake still in NYC for some last-minute negotiations?

Includes two pictures from IHJ.