This English-language adaptation of the Swedish novel by Stieg Larsson follows a disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), as he investigates the disappearance of a wealthy patriarch's niece from 40 years ago. He is aided by the pierced, tattooed, punk computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). As they work together in the investigation, Blomkvist and Salander uncover immense corruption beyond anything they have ever imagined.
When they announced they were going to re-adapt The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for the American audience, there was a lot of clamor from fans of the Swedish version; especially since it just came to the States last year. There really didn’t seem to be a point for another adaption so quickly. Then the studios made the easiest choice they could to shut the fans up and start second guessing themselves; that was hiring David Fincher, of course. For once he was hired, it seemed like a project that he was destined to make. A dark tale of rape, revenge, mystery, and psychological horror fits all too perfectly into his realm of comfort.
At the center of the story, there is a mystery; who killed Harriet Vanger? She disappeared 40 years ago her killer has sent a framed flower every year since in a somewhat taunting matter. This mystery is a slow, somewhat boring, slightly confusing investigation that ends up with a huge payoff for the audience. Its very conclusion is tense, scary, and rewarding. What’s not surprising is it seems to take a backseat to the title character, Lisbeth Salander. You are introduced to her and her lifestyle before the mystery even begins, and it winds up being the films strongest parts. You are allowed to enter the domain of the characters mind through the camera and see intimate moments of her private life that help define her character throughout the rest of the film. Her eventual involvement into the mystery feels natural and she helps light a flame, giving it more life and getting the wheels to the train going a bit faster. When the mystery comes to an end, the story continues in a somewhat dragging way that feels a bit unnecessary, but moments before the credits roll, it comes together nicely and truly gives the film’s movie title meaning.
Rooney Mara is downright impressive. Had I walked in blind, I know I wouldn’t have guessed that she was underneath that disguise. She goes into a place I never thought she could and the result is one of the best performances of the year. The key difference between her and the original, Noomi Rapace, is that I feel like I was more connected to Mara’s version. She seemed to show her insecurities better and her willingness to want more then what she had; which made me cheering more for her. It’s a career role for her that not only did she not fuck up, but even surpassed an already critically acclaimed performance of the same character. Impressive. Daniel Craig takes a backseat to Mara, and seems happy to do so. He does enough to make him suitable match for her, which he only manages to break your heart. Dick. Some of the smaller roles with Chrisopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, and Yorick van Wageningen manage to get a lot of smaller roles that help keep the mystery moving but still staying intrigued by it.
If you saw the original, let the fear of a commercialized version go. David Fincher does what eh does best and creates a great adaption of his version of the bestselling novel. It feel every bit as good, and to me better than the Swedish version. If you haven’t already been introduced into the world of Lisbeth Salander, here is the perfect place to start. It’s a long but fun ride that you can only get from a Fincher film.
Overall Score: 9/10
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