A dark twisted mystery that mystery lovers will draw to

Rating: 8/10 (25 August 2010)

You can't make ten steps without seeing something about The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo trilogy. Recently (before seeing the film) I tried to start the first novel but found it oddly difficult to get through so I watched the film. The movie is everything that I've heard people say about the series. A dark twisted thriller on an isolated island and an eccentric family with a very dark secret. I have to imagine that this film does its very best to keep true to the source material which can be a challenge when translating a very popular book such as this. The film has the exact pace of a Television series. When I say this I mean that it reminds me of watching a great episode of a superb detective story...something like Columbo, or Father Dowling of the 80's. Obviously the film is much darker than any TV show could possibly be. The violence, gratuitous nudity, rape scenes and general foreboding setting is dark enough to make this a definite adult thriller. The chemistry between the characters, who are complete opposites of each other, is really excellent making them the perfect duo to solve the mystery.
I certainly can't speak to any previous performances of the actors given they are Swedish. Michael Nyqvist plays reporter Mikael Blomkvist to near perfection. Sometimes an actor embodies his character to the point of becoming that character and I believe Nygvist does exactly that. I can't imagine anyone doing this role (even Daniel Craig.) He is perfect. Noomi Rapace is no different as the girl with the dragon tattoo Lisbeth Salander. She embodies the role and draws you into her twisted, emotionally disturbed character with a powerful ability that enhances her abilities to be a detective. Her character goes through a lot of changes throughout but she does it with such character and chemistry on screen. Nygvist and Rapace both as actors and their characters couldn't be more different and yet they have this amazing chemistry as partners. Lena Endre seems to play what is supposed to be a main character as Nygvist's lover and also his co-worker but honestly she is barely a supporting character. There is no depth or real reason for her to be there. However I feel like the same could be said for almost all the other supporting characters. Peter Haber, Sven-Bertil Taube, Marika Lagercrantz and Ewa Fröling while good don't really stand out amongst the powerful story and the powerful performances of the two leads. Taube is probably the best of the supporters but he doesn't get enough screen time to truly make it effective.
I think its a real shame to not have director Niels Arden Oplev helm the American version of the film. He clearly has an incredible grasp of Stieg Larsson original novel. I know this because every word I heard someone ever say about the novel is precisely what the film showed me. I can't emphasize enough that this is a very dark film, there is no happy ending and this film clearly sets up the future of the trilogy. Lovers of mysteries or thrillers who are looking for something off the beaten path then you will love every minute of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Its almost too complex for its own good. My only wish is that perhaps they would have linked together the clues a little better. I mean, ultimately (in my opinion) Blomkvist and Salander never truly uncover any major clue that leads them to the killer but rather happen upon a string of lucky happenings. You can't get away from the effect this story has had on recent pop culture and if they do it right and stay true to the story the American version will be well worth seeing although it will never be as gritty as this, the original film to the book. 8/10