One of those rare movie experiences...

Rating: 10/10 (9 November 2010)

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is, all at once, a taut and suspenseful action thriller, and an interesting study of human nature.
A writer for Sweden's number one magazine, Mikael Blomkvist of Millennium, is facing a hefty fee of 150,000 kronor and a sentence to time in jail for slander and libel. Before his jail time is to happen, he gets a letter from Henrik Vanger, the head of a wealthy family. A man of 80, his niece had disappeared 40 years ago and was never found. He writes to Mikael asking him to help solve her mystery, and in turn, will help him out with the pickle he's in. So he moves to Hedestad, an island 3 hours away from Stockholm to get started on his work.
A tattooed and pierced computer hacker named Lisbeth Salander has been following Mikael's case for quite some time. Lisbeth has Aspergers (or some sort of autism). She's sexy, but she's troubled- she's had a troubled childhood being in and out of behavioural centres. However, fate, or so it seems, leads Mikael to Lisbeth, where they both work together to solve this amazing case.
This very film is why we go to the movies. At 152 minutes, your interest is held. It is a long movie, but the length is the last thing on your mind when watching it. Dragon Tattoo manages to keep you entertained, it immerses you in these awesome characters. They become your friends for 2 and a half hours, and the whole time you feel like you're solving the mystery with them.
This film is full of suspense, and for its entire duration I was on the edge of my seat. Michael Nyqvist is just GREAT as Mikael, and everyone else is great, but the real highlight is Noomi Rapace. She is one of the most gorgeous and talented actresses out there right now. It struck me how so different she is in real life too- in this movie, she just IS Lisbeth. She is more than just a pretty face, she is an amazing actress, and it's such a shame that there aren't many actresses like her nowadays.
In short, do not miss this flick. Even if you don't like foreign movies, do see this film. It is one of the greatest movies I've had the good fortune to see at the cinema, and a film that just improves with repeat viewings.