an enemy of an enemy is a friend

Rating: 9/10 (28 February 2019)

At first glance Lisbeth and Mikael have nothing in common. The former is a shady tattooed young hacker with an explosive temper and the latter is a nerdy traditional journalist and family man with a penchant for jogging in the woods to ease a troubled mind. Despite their differences, Lisbeth and Mikael collide in more ways than one. As Mikael investigates an unsolved murder perpetrated 40 years ago in a remote northern town, he quickly wades in over his head. Lisbeth's skillset could be helpful to Mikael, but since cooperation isn't her style he had better hope there is truth to the old saying; an enemy of an enemy is a friend.
Produced at a mere $13 million, the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo became a worldwide sensation which returned ten times that amount. It did a number of things right including turning the crime thriller genre on its head, frequent role reversals, unpredictability, compelling characters that hit rock bottom and claw their way back, casting the talented Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth, and more. There is depth without pretentiousness. Old school thrills come in modern packaging. Nothing is as it seems ("fair is foul and foul is fair, hover through the fog and filthy air," - Macbeth). Intriguing themes include trusting instincts, redemption and determining the appropriate punishment for evil deeds. There are flashes of disturbing and brutal violence and rape.
For the Brits it was the best film NOT in the English language. The Swedish version of the film is more authentic and realistic than the latter Hollywood adaptation. For one thing, Michael Nyqvist is more vulnerable and believable as Mikael than strapping Daniel Craig. The Hollywood version, despite such drawbacks, is still worthwhile as it includes interesting plot twists and is very stylish. The film is based on the novel by Stieg Larsson.