From acclaimed director David Fincher, comes the American interpretation of one of the biggest selling books in recent years.
Originally a Swedish novel from Steig Larsson, the Millennium series of books (which start with the Dragon Tattoo) have already been made into films in their home language. Fincher’s quick follow up raised more than a few eyebrows from critics, many of whom said it was too soon for an English revisit. However, upon seeing how the Fight Club director has tackled the suspenseful murder mystery, it’s plain to see he was the best man for the job.
Beginning with an opening title sequence similar in artistic expressionism to the one in Fight Club, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo maintains a grimy, bludgeoning atmosphere throughout, one fraught with secrets and peril. Daniel Craig plays the lead character Mikael, a disgraced journalist, recently sued for libel, who takes on a mysterious job in order to hide from the publicity of his own scandal. Hired by a powerful and rich businessman, Mikael is charged with finding the killer of a crime which took place decades ago. As the journalist digs deep into this family’s history, uncovering pieces of evidence leading him to the killer, he discovers truths that will place himself in extreme danger.
Alongside Mikael comes Lisbeth (Rooney Mara), a troubled girl who specialises in private detective work such as hacking computers and surveillance. Lisbeth is under a court-ordered supervision, in which she must report to a handler in all aspects of her life. This relationship becomes extremely volatile under the watch of her newest supervisor Bjurman, whose penchant for sadomasochism puts Lisbeth in her own extreme danger.
A brilliant told story, given an engaging and pure direction by Fincher. The plot skips along a little too fast for fans of the novel, but for those who are unfamiliar with the Millennium trilogy, this film is the perfect introduction, and a bloody good murder mystery. The sequences are rich in grimy obscenity, whilst maintaining a balance of good and evil between most of the characters. The use of beautiful landscape adds depth to the cinematography, whilst the soundtrack makes it feel modern and thrilling.
Craig does a very good job as the Swedish writer (approaching the role without an accent, which was probably for the best), but Mara steals the show with a superb depiction of this vulnerable yet fascinating character. Bring on the next one.
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