Today was a good day for me in the movie realm. Why? Because after last night's laughably bad experience with Clash of the Titans I had the pleasure of finally getting to watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. This is a movie I've been waiting on for a couple of months and I'm thrilled to report that, not only did it wash the taste of last night's debacle out of my head, it was every bit as good as I was expecting it to be. The film has been getting really positive reviews coming out of a number of film festivals (including one right here in Miami a month ago) and they're all well deserved. Between this and The Ghost Writer you've got two great options for thrillers at the theater right now (that is, if you can find them as they're still in somewhat limited release.)Based on the critically acclaimed novel by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a complex, dense, thriller/murder-mystery centering around Mikael Blomkvist, an investigative reporter who is tasked with attempting to solve a 40 year old cold murder case, and Lisbeth Salander (the titular Girl) a resourceful, mysterious, and troubled young computer savant who ultimately becomes Mikael's valued assistant as he struggles to find answers for Henrik Vanger, one of Sweden's most powerful businessmen, uncle of the murdered girl.
I'm not going to touch more on the plot, as it's a pleasure to watch unfold on screen, so no spoilers here. You've got the basics, and you know I'm really pleased with it, you'd do well to seek it out if you can.
One of the best things I can say about this movie (among many) is what a faithful adaptation of the source material it is. We all know that books are always better than movies, and that's still the case here. The book is a terrific read without question, but the movie is a really strong interpretation that manages to maintain all of the major plot points, the atmosphere, and juggles a large cast of characters and suspects admirably. It's probably one of the best book-to-movie adaptations I've seen in quite a while, so if you've read the book and are skeptical, fear not, it's well realized.
Larsson has crafted a fantastically complex character in Lisbeth Salander and she's just as intriguing on screen as she is in the book. All of her most compelling scenes from the novel make the translation, and it's something to watch her operated in the real world and not just in one's imagination. Noomi Rapace plays Salander extremely well, and the visual transformation that she underwent for the character is pretty remarkable. She's a pleasure to watch on screen, she seems really comfortable with the character and really brings her to life.
Be forewarned, there is some rather extreme violence and a couple scenes of nudity/sexuality in the film, so if you're not comfortable with those two ideas you probably want to give this one a pass. Also, it's a foreign film with subtitles so if you can't be bothered to read then it might not be for you either, however the titles are brief and simple to read so it shouldn't prove too problematic for anyone.
I can't recommend this one enough, seriously. It's tense, deliberate, well acted, and superbly scripted given how intricate the novel is. It won't disappoint. I hope that the inevitable sequel is put together with the same care. The final book hits store shelves next month, I can't wait!
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