The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is an excellent suspense/mystery/thriller about a troubled computer hacker, Lisbeth, and a disgraced investigative journalist, Mikael, joining forces to solve a 40-year-old murder mystery revolving around a powerful yet eccentric family. It is a foreign film adapted from a popular series of novels and also set to be remade by Hollywood (Daniel Craig has signed up to play Mikael. No word on who will play Lisbeth yet, but I heard a rumor it might be Carey Mulligan, who is a great actress and could pull it off.) The film is a dark thrill ride that is full of great twists. It is subtitled, though, in case you are opposed (and even if you are you should suck it up; you get used to them).
What stands out the most for me about this film is the acting. Noomi Rapace literally transforms herself to play Lisbeth, the dark, brooding, tortured heroine. More stunning than her physical transformation, though, is her ability to display a vulnerable, gentle femininity hidden deep beneath the grizzly, disturbed character she outwardly portrays. Through the violent, angry acts she commits, she still manages to keep a gentleness in her eyes that reminds us of her victim hood, and, without it, her character would not be nearly as sympathetic or interesting. The rest of the cast is also excellent. Michael Nyqvist reminds me of and, to some degree, resembles Daniel Craig in his role of Mikael. He does an excellent job and sets the bar high for Craig (as well as builds the excitement for seeing him in that role).
The story has its tough moments, but, overall, it’s a great adaptation from a novel. It manages to introduce and set up everything necessary for the film without it feeling like the film drags on. We start right in the middle of the story with Mikael, as he is set to go to jail- a very telling introduction to his character. Lisbeth takes a little longer to set up, but it is done well. There are parallel disturbing scenes involving her that, at the time, I didn’t quite understand in the context of the story, but actually prove to be crucial towards explaining later, very important character motivation. Also, we see the connection between Lisbeth and Mikael early and can see how they will be running into each other in the future. I get the feeling that had I read the novel, I would be saying this set up is done efficiently (and I think it is), but it does take a little longer than normal to really get into the heart of the story.
Where I have issues with the story is towards the end. It appears the filmmakers took the time in the beginning to properly set up the story, but tried to quickly jump around and tie up loose ends at its conclusion (which, given its length, it had to). There are significant jumps in time as well as a puzzling resolve to the relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael, given how prominent each character is. I would say that these not so tightly tied loose ends will be investigated further in the sequel, but, as a stand-alone film, there are questions. (As an aside, there is a foreign sequel and I believe Hollywood plans on completing a trilogy- much like the Bourne Trilogy.) Also, as with most thrillers, some of the clues seem very convenient (such as someone’s pension for rewearing the same sweater), but I give it a pass because the story is gripping and the reveal of the clues is sincere and truthful enough.
This film is a highly entertaining, dark thriller that is very enjoyable. I would recommend this film to anyone who is not squeamish or easily rattled. By this, I mean there are some scenes and images that are disturbingly violent and sexual. I am not one to be prude, but a younger, less mature audience should probably sit this one out or at least have it screened by a trustworthy adult first. Also, for those of you who simply do not enjoy such scenes, they very well may ruin the film for you. However, if that doesn’t bother you and you’re willing to suck it up and live with the subtitles, I highly recommend this film and believe you’ll be very entertained.
If you like this, check out: The Black Dahlia (Widescreen Edition)
or The Usual Suspects (Special Editon)
or The Usual Suspects (Special Editon)Scale:
1- Lots of Better Movies at Blockbuster
2- Might Be Worth Renting
3- Rent It When You Get to It
4- A Must Rent, at some point
5- Put It in Your Queue NOW!
My Rating: 4
