2011.158 min. Rated R
“She’s different in every way.”
I’m not high on crime thrillers, but this movie was exceptional in its execution. I had no expectations, since I did not read the novel on which the movie was based. I also did not see the original Swedish movie which, in some ways, made me a perfect candidate for seeing the Hollywood version of the film, without bias or preconceived notions for how the film ought to unfold.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – Columbia Pictures
I am not a purist, thinking that certain films are a sacrilege. The most important part of the film for me is spreading access to the thrilling Stieg Larsson trilogy. The recipe for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is carefully communicated by executing the plot through good acting and careful cinematography. This film has it all. And I became a fan, enthralled by the expert choreography of direction.
Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is the disgraced journalist, trying to resuscitate his career after a sloppy report construed as libel, threatens to land him in jail. A wealthy patriarch by the name of Henrik Vanger (Chrisopher Plummer) commissions Mikael to investigate the disappearance of a niece, nearly forty years ago on an island north of Stockholm. Mikael agrees to take the case, a chance to prove his worth and renew his good name. With the help of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), Mikael seeks to recover more than a lost story and a lost body. He wants to recover his career.
Daniel Craig, best known for his role as Bond in the new iteration of James Bond, teams up with the punked out psycho-case, Lisbeth, a project of the state being monitored for her perceived mental instability. Lisbeth is left in the care of a step-father who is suddenly incapacitated by a stroke. Lisbeth is placed in the “care” of another, attorney Nils Bjurman. Bjurman’s primary role is to monitor Lisbeth’s mental health through the submission of monthly reports. Bjurman agrees to submit reports outlining Lisbeth’s progress and mental competence, in exchange for sexual favors. What ensues is one of the most gruesome rape scenes in the history of cinema. This sets up a relationship that does not end well for “Nils @#$!ing Bjurman” and precipitates Lisbeth’s desire to make anyone who crosses her path with malicious intent, pay.
Mikael and Lisbeth, a most unlikely pair, are teamed up when Mikael, seeking help with his search, learns of Lisbeth’s part-time investigative work through a man by the name of Armansky. Mikael entices Lisbeth with the case as they both seek to put their recent difficulties behind them, placing all of their energy into a case no one has been able to solve. Lisbeth, a master computer hacker who struggles with her sociability, is a perfect candidate to help solve the riddle of the missing girl. She uses her computer prowess to unlock decades of secrets. The investigation is ripe with all the trappings of Lisbeth’s own nightmare upbringing and recent abuses, making the events of the case all the more intriguing, or thrilling.
The film is intense. And while there is no mistake that a pierced, tattooed outsider has made its way into our mainstream culture, she has made her way into our hearts–sort of. While there is some ambivalence about Lisbeth’s character, there is no uncertainty over the thrilling ride that is created at Daniel Fincher‘s direction. He orchestrates a masterpiece of suspense, crime, and mystery. The film unfolds like a Rembrandt masterpiece, heavy on the chiaroscuro (the tonal contrast), deep in character profile, and profound in emotional subtlety. Daniel Craig is raw, honest and believable, while Rooney Mara is a natural study in misfit ingenuity. The viewer longs for a connection to Lisbeth, but instead opts for a communion in solving a case and redefining the hidden miseries of past sufferings. Together they comprise a Biblical upheaval and resurrection among investigators, atoning for a lost path that is slowly but surely reconstructed. Until the next installment.
After watching the film, I made sure to read the Millennium Trilogy in its entirety. I stand behind my observations that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a must see. With the careful oversight of the director and the intense but subtle acting combined with the cult feel of this thriller, the film will be viewed as a classic in years to come.
