Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) published a story without adequate sources and lost all credibility. He is approached by Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to solve a decades old crime: the murder of his favorite niece, Harriet. Mikael agrees, and also agrees to the facade that he is writing Henrik's biography.
The Vanger family live on an island, with only one way on or off. The day Harriet disappeared the entire family was on the island, and the bridge was blocked, making the entire Vanger family suspect. Mikael moves to the island to conduct his research. As the information builds up, he requests a research assistant and is directed to Lisbeth Salander (Mara). Lisbeth is a talented hacker and is intrigued by the case. Can they find the truth, and fix Mikael's reputation?
When I heard there was going to be an American version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo novel by Stieg Larsson, I was apprehensive... I devoured all three novels in the "Millenium" series, and watched the Swedish version of the film (Män som hatar kvinnor). Actress Noomi Rapace embodied the character of Lisbeth, and I couldn't imagine any other actress doing the role justice... also, I was nervous about a Hollywood version of the story. After watching the film, I'm not sure how to feel about it...
The film maintains the violence and graphic rape / nudity of the story. It seems to glorify in the violence and nudity, taking it to a sickening level. The film was uncomfortable to watch. I know it isn't about a cheery subject, but it was an unsettling film. I don't know much about director David Fincher's style, as I have only seen 2 of his other films: Se7en and Fight Club... but this film didn't enhance my desire to dive into more (unless he directs the 2 other films in the series).
Daniel Craig, who is the current James Bond, is fine as Mikael. He is a strong leading man, and works well here, even if he isn't the first person you picture in the part. Rooney Mara is good as Lisbeth, taking the character to a different place than Rapace. This Lisbeth feels more like an outsider, which is truer to the books. The story also managed to stay very close to the novel, only removing a few plotlines. I thought the Swedish version was pretty accurate, but this one is much closer to the novel.
I'm intrigued to see where the series goes from here... I can't recommend the film, but if you are interested in it, I would suggest reading the novel first, so you know exactly what you are getting into.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) 158 minutes
Rated: R for brutal violent content including rape and torture, strong sexuality, graphic nudity, and language
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist
Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander
Christopher Plummer as Henrik Vanger
Stellan Skarsgard as Martin Vanger
Steven Berkoff as Dirch Frode
Robin Wright as Erika Berger
Yorick van Wageningen as Nils Bjurman
Joely Richardson as Anita Vanger
Geraldine James as Cecilia Vanger
Goran Visnjic as Dragan Armansky
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