Midweek Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
When reviewing David Fincher’s American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, it was always going to be difficult avoiding comparisons to its outstanding Swedish predecessor, from 2009 (my review here). Keeping the contrasts to a minimum, I can say though that both films are equally excellent and are definitely worth watching, even though they have different strengths.
Based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is equal parts mystery thriller, harrowing drama and sordid serial killer tale, with a dash of pitch black humour thrown in for good measure.
Daniel Craig plays Michael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist hired by elderly industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the decades-old disappearance of his niece – which he suspects was orchestrated by a family member. Apart from the intellectual challenge, the appeal of the task for Blomkvist is guaranteed money when he needs it most, as well as a chance to lay low at the Vanger island estate. Attracted to the case meanwhile is brilliant hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a socially withdrawn young woman whose violently dysfunctional past means she’s still accountable to a state-appointed guardian, and subject to any exploitation that may stem from the situation.
For the record, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is certainly not a cheerful film, but it offers plenty of emotional gratification for viewers who want to see justice for the oppressed underdog – more specifically, delicate women on the fringe of society, who are abused by men of power, wealth and respect.
It’s worth noting at this point that Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth is a very different creature to Noomi Rapace’s Lisbeth in the Swedish Millennium Trilogy films. Different, please note; not better or worse, because I believe there is room for both interpretations of the character. And both actresses are 100% convincing in their differing portrayals.
Anyway, whereas Rapace comes across like a cornered, hissing feral cat, who could convincingly fight off 3 men at once (and does!), Mara’s Lisbeth is less of a raging survivor; more of a timid, recovering victim. You don’t get to see this Lisbeth setting people on fire. She doesn’t radiate danger like Rapace. However, at the same time Mara's Lisbeth doesn’t simply curl up and sob about her situation. The American Lisbeth is still a woman of action, despite her apparent frailty and softness. And, as already mentioned, this contributes to the audience’s sense of satisfaction when, despite her physical weakness, Lisbeth gets her dramatic revenge.
As already mentioned, the American and Swedish versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have their own unique advantages over the other. In terms of Fincher’s film, one of the most obvious is the expert handling of pacing. Whereas the Swedish Dragon Tattoo certainly had its languid patches, its US cousin is a taunt piece of film-making. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 2 hour 40 minute film.
Fincher also seems to have a better grasp of the dysfunction within the Vanger family. Although this may have something to do with the fact that we meet more of the clan face-to-face in this film, there is something perversely enjoyable about witnessing these feuding, cynical eccentrics – and sometimes truly awful people – discussing their own flesh and blood so callously.
These positives aside, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo does still suffer from a serious case of over-fidelity to its source material. Just like its Swedish forerunner, in fact. You see, as a novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo consists of 3 different storylines: there’s the Vanger mystery, there’s Lisbeth’s tale of abuse by the system and there’s Michael’s quest to prove that his accusations against a corrupt businessman are based on fact. The problem is that these 3 plot strands terminate at different points. And frankly, once the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger is resolved, all energy evaporates from the film. This becomes a problem when there is still another 15 to 20 minutes of screen time to slog through and the audience is no longer really invested in events. The film’s final scene is also disappointingly timid, and a bit out of key with previous developments.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is still recommended viewing, though, despite these flaws. Disregarding a few strange accent choices, the film features a strong cast, including Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson, and performances are excellent across the board. At the end of the day, the American Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is, like its Swedish counterpart, a great night out for adult audiences who aren't afraid to delve deep into the darkness and depravity of the human soul.
Four stars out of 5.
Based on Stieg Larsson’s bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is equal parts mystery thriller, harrowing drama and sordid serial killer tale, with a dash of pitch black humour thrown in for good measure.
Daniel Craig plays Michael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist hired by elderly industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the decades-old disappearance of his niece – which he suspects was orchestrated by a family member. Apart from the intellectual challenge, the appeal of the task for Blomkvist is guaranteed money when he needs it most, as well as a chance to lay low at the Vanger island estate. Attracted to the case meanwhile is brilliant hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a socially withdrawn young woman whose violently dysfunctional past means she’s still accountable to a state-appointed guardian, and subject to any exploitation that may stem from the situation.
For the record, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is certainly not a cheerful film, but it offers plenty of emotional gratification for viewers who want to see justice for the oppressed underdog – more specifically, delicate women on the fringe of society, who are abused by men of power, wealth and respect.
It’s worth noting at this point that Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth is a very different creature to Noomi Rapace’s Lisbeth in the Swedish Millennium Trilogy films. Different, please note; not better or worse, because I believe there is room for both interpretations of the character. And both actresses are 100% convincing in their differing portrayals.
Anyway, whereas Rapace comes across like a cornered, hissing feral cat, who could convincingly fight off 3 men at once (and does!), Mara’s Lisbeth is less of a raging survivor; more of a timid, recovering victim. You don’t get to see this Lisbeth setting people on fire. She doesn’t radiate danger like Rapace. However, at the same time Mara's Lisbeth doesn’t simply curl up and sob about her situation. The American Lisbeth is still a woman of action, despite her apparent frailty and softness. And, as already mentioned, this contributes to the audience’s sense of satisfaction when, despite her physical weakness, Lisbeth gets her dramatic revenge.
As already mentioned, the American and Swedish versions of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo have their own unique advantages over the other. In terms of Fincher’s film, one of the most obvious is the expert handling of pacing. Whereas the Swedish Dragon Tattoo certainly had its languid patches, its US cousin is a taunt piece of film-making. It certainly doesn’t feel like a 2 hour 40 minute film.
Fincher also seems to have a better grasp of the dysfunction within the Vanger family. Although this may have something to do with the fact that we meet more of the clan face-to-face in this film, there is something perversely enjoyable about witnessing these feuding, cynical eccentrics – and sometimes truly awful people – discussing their own flesh and blood so callously.
These positives aside, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo does still suffer from a serious case of over-fidelity to its source material. Just like its Swedish forerunner, in fact. You see, as a novel The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo consists of 3 different storylines: there’s the Vanger mystery, there’s Lisbeth’s tale of abuse by the system and there’s Michael’s quest to prove that his accusations against a corrupt businessman are based on fact. The problem is that these 3 plot strands terminate at different points. And frankly, once the mysterious disappearance of Harriet Vanger is resolved, all energy evaporates from the film. This becomes a problem when there is still another 15 to 20 minutes of screen time to slog through and the audience is no longer really invested in events. The film’s final scene is also disappointingly timid, and a bit out of key with previous developments.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is still recommended viewing, though, despite these flaws. Disregarding a few strange accent choices, the film features a strong cast, including Stellan Skarsgård, Robin Wright and Joely Richardson, and performances are excellent across the board. At the end of the day, the American Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is, like its Swedish counterpart, a great night out for adult audiences who aren't afraid to delve deep into the darkness and depravity of the human soul.
Four stars out of 5.
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