Movie Review: Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The opening credits of the American version of Girl With The Dragon Tattoo are some of the most original, hottest, best I've seen since James Bond movies. Truly - the howl of a Led Zeppelin tune and the swirl of black is amazing. Trust me. You'll be drawn into this movie. Kudos to David Fincher, the director. I'll start with saying this movie is hard R - do not allow any children near the theater. Violence, sex, adult themes abound. That said - I've read the books (trilogy), seen the Swedish films (excellent with subtitles), and now I give this version a huge thumbs up.

Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a journalist, currently on the outs due to a scandal. However, he's hired by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the forty year old murder of his niece, Harriet. The Vanger family is a mess - rich with Nazi history and no family member talks to each other even though they live on the same island. Trust me, there are issues. Martin Vanger (Stellan Skarsgaard) runs the business now and oh, is he twisted. Finally, Lisbeth Salander, our girl with the tattoo, piercings and goth hair (Rooney Mara in a transformational role) is a computer genius with social issues. There's so much more to her story - you have to read the books and see the movie.

The Swedish countryside is cold and forbidding. The search for a murderer is unrelenting. The performances are riveting. Girl With The Dragon Tattoo has many layers and is well filmed, well acted, and just really really good. No, not a happy Christmas family picture. But, if you want to think, feel, and experience a film - this is the one. Read Stieg Larsson's trilogy and see the movies. Quality abounds.

The Trilogy

Stieg Larsson kicked butt with his trilogy - Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Girl Who Played with Fire, and Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest. Lisbeth Salander is a character for the ages. Computer hacker genius, total anti-social mess, and a girl who looks out for herself. She is compelling and spellbinding in her life, past, and relationships. Mikael Blomkvist, reporter and writer, is forever tied to Lisbeth and ultimately must save her as she has saved him.

The books have that European aura - sexual tension, violence, and intelligence - adult material that will hook you, and it's nice to be treated as an adult. American sensibilities and squeamishness be damned. Mr. Larsson plays his cards right and heightens the pace on every page. He gets a tad political in the third book and I was forced to skim a teensy bit, however the writing and storyline are still stellar and worth reading.

It's a shame Mr. Larsson died before reaping the benefits of worldwide acclaim. The Swedish film version of Girl With a Dragon Tattoo was well cast and excellent. I rented it on NetFlix (hurrah) and stayed hooked. Yes, there are subtitles, but hey, we can all read. Exercise the brain and eyes at the same time. The young lady cast as Lisbeth was scary excellent.

So books, film - however you can get your fill of Swedish meatballs - seek out the trilogy and root for Lisbeth and Mikael. Gotta love conspiracies, chases, shootouts, and computer hacker success (against the bad guys).

Svenska rocks!