Entertaining whodunit

Rating: 7/10 (30 June 2010)

Having never seen any Scandinavian film and living with a Swede while in London several years ago I was curious to see The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Having not read the book and not aware of the synopsis, I started the movie with an open mind and no expectations.
I won't cover the synopsis in detail, but the movie follows two lead protagonists. Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), a mild mannered investigative reporter facing a light 3 month sentence after being framed by following fraudulent documents that were able to expose the Wennerström corporation for illegal activities, and Lisbeth Salander, (Noomi Rapace) a bi-sexual tech savy feisty goth complete with an array of piercings, tattoos and a mountain of emotional and commitment issues brought on by an abusive father.
While Mikael is waiting sentencing for forging evidence against the firm, he is being investigated by Lisbeth on behalf of the Henrick Vanger, the patriarch of the wealthy Vanger family. Henrick is doing a background check on Mikael before offering him a job to help find his niece who went missing some 40 years ago. He suspects it is someone in the family...
The grim storyline being quite intricate and digestible, forces quite a lot down the viewers throat and certain scenes may be quite disturbing for viewers. The books seems to be very successful so clearly the plot is acceptable and works. The acting was superb and the leads were convincing and had more than enough depth to their characters. Cinematography was excellent and and really enjoyed the Swedish landscapes.
Although a slow builder, there was more than enough tension to keep you engaged not only to find the killer, but also to see how the relationships played out.
This is the first film by director David Fincher I have seen, but see he has quite a few titles in development inc 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Heavy Metal. Definitely will keep an eye out.
Satisfied and entertained and enjoyed a foreign take on the crime thriller
7/10