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Is it worth $10? Yes
One problem with adaptation is expectation: Fans of the source material want everything included, and when a particularly popular work is adapted advance hype reaches unfathomable levels. Remember the hysteria over every single Harry Potter movie? I digress.
In the case of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” which is the first of a trilogy, the hype is huge and the film is long, bleak, fascinating and daring, but not nearly as great many will hope.
Daniel Craig stars as Mikael Blomkvist, a disgraced journalist in Sweden who’s secretly hired by business magnate Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of Vanger’s niece, Harriet. On the surface, however, Mikael is writing Henrik’s biography, which provides him the opportunity to interview the family and ask questions about the past. Some family members, such as Henrik’s nephew Martin (Stellan Skarsgard), are eager to talk; others, such as the long-lost Anita (Joely Richardson), have no interest.
After hitting numerous dead ends Mikael hires a young computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) to help. Lisbeth is a ward of the state, has a dragon tattoo on her back, piercings everywhere, and is small, waifish, immature in some ways but very mature in others. She’s also smart and packs a mean punch, two attributes that serve her well in the course of the story.
Those who’ve seen the 2009 Swedish version of “Dragon Tattoo” starring Noomi Rapace will draw inevitable comparisons, and odds are the earlier version wins most categories. Specifically, Rapace’s Lisbeth carries more intensity in her eyes and more fire in her demeanor than Mara’s, who’s a bit softer but still very good. The Swedish movie is also a little shorter and therefore more watchable; at two hours and 40 minutes, director David Fincher’s version is far longer than it needs to be.
Part of the length problem ties back to the aforementioned point about adaptations. Arguably the most famous moments in the book are the rape scenes. Fincher handles them well – they’re raw, carnal, savage, well staged and devastating, as expected – but they’re also completely superfluous to the story. They have nothing to do with Mikael, the investigation or any other focal plot point in “Dragon Tattoo,” meaning every moment in this tangent is a lengthy detour from what really matters. Yes, we learn something about Lisbeth in those scenes, but nothing so essential that it couldn’t have been learned in a quicker, more efficient way.
Still, the movie is very nicely shot and appropriately dark. If nothing else, Fincher knows how to create a mood, and things get off to a great start with the best remix of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” that you’ll ever hear. Too bad it’s all downhill from there, even if the grade isn’t very steep. When “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is over you’ll be exhausted, intrigued and in need of a stiff drink. This is a good movie with obvious flaws, but you’ll also be eager to see what comes next.
Did you know?
Craig, Mara and Fincher are signed on to complete the trilogy. The next two films will be shot back-to-back in Sweden; no timetable has been set.
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Twilliams
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... This movie was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and the acting was incredible. It was better than I expected it to be for an American film after the original. The music was great! I feel Trent and Atticus did a marvelous job creating it together. This is one I can see over and over again to see what I may have missed before. I am looking forward to the next in the series. |
Danaking
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... I went into the theatre Monday evening with high expectations for David Fincher’s adaptation of the amazing novel by Stieg Larsson. I’ve admire Fincher’s body of work (Fight Club, Se7en & The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) but more importantly admire the way he tells a story. He’s never in a rush and always takes his time drawing you in and engaging your senses - beautiful camera angles, scenery, and music – he sets the stage and then decorates it beautifully. But his 2.5 hour take of the Swedish original was average at best and saved only by my curiosity to see how he would tell the story. The first hour highlighting individual vignettes establishing Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander characters were choppy and lacked a cohesive flow. While I was emotionally prepared for the graphic nature of some scenes I felt like Fincher sensationalized the rape scene and overemphasized the sexual relationship of Mikael & Lisbeth, making the story more about their physical connection vs. the intellectual one. The liberties taken at the end and the deviation from the original left me underwhelmed and thinking I was watching a bad alternate ending? Ronney Mara underwent a dramatic metamorphosis to play Lisbeth Salander. I applaud her efforts but felt she lacked the intensity and connection that I had experienced with Noomi Rapace. Daniel Craig played the part of an investigative journalist well but was missing a protective, instinctive vibe . Brilliant but underutilized casting of Christopher Plummer as Herik Vanger while Stellan Skarsgård portrayed Martin Vanger with the perfect amount of calculated brilliance and distain. Robin Wright on the other hand needed a hairbrush and less close-ups (she’s not Princess Buttercup any more). The award winning union of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross fell short of the magical scores previously produced in Social Network & The Book of Eli. Let’s just say I won’t be in a rush to download any music to my iPod! Thankfully here on HOH, I’m entitled to my opinion. But I’m ready to defend it to the haters and the critics. I’m going to be the girl leaving the theatre saying, “the original was better.” |
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