The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)
by George Watches Things
****
Wow. It’s been a long time since I wrote a film review, hasn’t it? So, should we just jump right in?
I was excited for this movie. I got a chance to see the Swedish version (the 7th best film of 2010) back in October, and I was floored by it. I really like David Fincher, and I really like this story. Fortunately, my excitement was not let down.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is about two people trying to solve a crime. One is a disgraced journalist (Mikael, who is played by Daniel Craig), the other a computer hacker (Lisbeth, who is played by Rooney Mara). They were hired by an ailing old man (a role that I thought would have more screen time occupied by Christopher Plummer), and the crime committed was the murder of his favorite niece. I expect most of you are familiar with the plot, though.
Critics have scrutinized the film for spending too much time with the characters apart, but I liked this move in the 2010 version, and I like it here. It’s true, the Swedish version is better with clock management, but pace is something that didn’t bother me as I watched Fincher’s entry in the franchise.
The ideal adaptation of the best-selling novel is probably somewhere in between the two recent films. However, I believe this one is slightly superior. I’ll concede that the film (tries and) fails to convince audiences that the true climax is at the very end, since this story is more about Mikael and Lisbeth than the mystery they’re trying to solve. But it wraps up nicely, not in the Hollywood way the non-Hollywood version does. Plus, the Lisbeth character is brought down a notch from Noomi Rapace’s “all men and most women can just go to hell, but I don’t really care anyway” version.
If I were Leonard Maltin, this is what I would write in my movie guide app: David Fincher’s Dragon Tattoo remake is more stylish and more likable than its Swedish predecessor. Craig is good as a penniless journalist, but it’s Mara who shines as punk goth Lisbeth, a computer hacker. Don’t miss the opening credits.
Notes
- I suggest you see this on a big screen.
- If you see and enjoy The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, please see Psycho.
- Dragon Tattoo is out now in theaters across the country.
- Coming soon: the final awards (yay), a couple of reviews from 2011 I never got to post, and (I guess) some new stuff.
- Have you seen TGwtDT? What do you think?
I very much enjoyed Fincher take with TGwtDT. I thought his was a more cinematic approach. The earlier Swedish version now seems like a very good TV movie compared to this, but both iterations make changes and tackle the material each a little differently. Although, I like that the 2011 version take stayed truer to the novel’s ending. I was surprised how much I liked the casting, too. Daniel Craig is a much better as the Mikael Blomkvist, the catnip journalist. Rapace was awesome as Lisbeth in the original, but Rooney Mara held her own in this. Fine review.
Thanks so much. I thought Craig was better, too. And I agree with your other points as well
I really loved the movie. However I have a soft spot for cats so as soon as the cat was brutally murdered I was turned off. But besides that I would definitely buy it on DVD. I can’t wait for the next movie!
Oh, I had completely forgotten about that. Interesting touch. Thanks for commenting!
It’s certainly worth seeing if you missed the original. If you saw it, however, there’s no way of unseeing it, and nothing in the new one to top it. Craig and Mara are great here though and Fincher brings so much more to this film like I was expecting too. Good review.
I know a lot of critics feel that way, but I didn’t mind. This brought something slightly different to the table when it came time for the twist, though.
I saw it and thought it was definitely the best mystery movie I saw in a long time. Overall, I liked Rooney Mara’s portrayal as the titular Girl with dragon tattoo and I was relieved to see Daniel Craig was perfectly capable of playing roles that are not James Bond (*cough* Roger Moore *cough*). However, I thought it was David Fincher’s directorial style that stole the show for me. He did the impossible by making northern Sweden look beautiful.
I loved it. Just saw it again and I still loved it even though some people tried to make me think differently.
I too really enjoyed the previous version, and have really been looking forward to watching this one also. I’m glad that your trusted opinion supports my suspicion that this will be a great film!
YAY! Please start writing film reviews again! :D
Hahaha I will. Thanks, you really inspired me.
nice job.
It’s not open in my country yet, sigh………….
so in the mentime i’ll watch this over and over, and over
youtu.be/tcp9Ysi75f0
I think it’s a tossup as to which version is better, as both were very well made. I was happy to see Rooney Mara hold her own as Lisbeth especially after Noomi Rapace dominated that role in the Swedish film.
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I heard this was awesome! Great review!
Fincher’s version of Dragon Tattoo has a great script by Steve Zaillian, and the Oscar nomination for its editors is well deserved. However, I think I agree with you, once the central mystery is solved the film’s final stretch fails to be as engaging. You can read my full review here: http://wp.me/pXjev-5w.
As for the opening credits, I thought (given Craig’s involvement) that it was a nice touch for them to do it in the style of the Bond films – only much, much darker. The cover version of Led Zepplin’s Immigrant Song was pretty good too.