Modern-Day Noir Thriller That Pulls No Punches...

Rating: 9/10 (19 December 2011)

In his study, an elderly man opens a package marked "Hong Kong." Inside is a beautifully framed specimen of a pressed flower. He studies it closely, removes his glasses...then begins to sob uncontrollably. If you didn't know what you were watching, you'd think you stumbled into the wrong movie - a Bergmann film, maybe. But this is the deceptive opening scene to THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO, a smart, uncompromising thriller that will grab you by your temples, squeeze and not let go until the very end.
The elderly man is Henrik Vanger (Sven Bertil-Taube), whose life is about to intersect with two unlikely protagonists and soon-to-become allies.
Mikael Blomqvist (Michael Nyquist) is a well-known investigative journalist, who has just been sued for libel by a big-time industrialist, and lost. Not only is he disgraced, but facing jail time. So "Kalle" Blomqvist certainly has nothing to lose, when he gets a call from none other than Vanger for the most unlikely of reasons - to help him solve the 40-year old murder case involving his niece, Harriet, whose body disappeared without a trace.
And unknown to Mikael, Vanger has had him thoroughly checked out before hiring him. A security company has been dogging his every move during and after the libel trial, and that includes having every bit of intel gathered on him by one of their most well-known 'specialists'...a master hacker and 'researcher' named Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace, who now can be seen in the latest SHERLOCK HOLMES adventure.) TATTOO is all about the circumstances that bring these three diverse characters together, while exploring a tale of twists and turns that also uncovers the darkest recesses of the human psyche. And as with every good noir thriller, it doesn't skimp on all the adult stuff: sexual assault, blackmail, torture, murder...and even worse.
Not having read a single one of the books, I am now definitely interested, but not before finishing the film series, which should be excellent if this initial entry is any indication. The cinematography is superb; the dark, brooding score complementary but not intrusive, and director Niels Arden Oplev keeps the action tight, tense and captivating in all the right places.
The most remarkable thing of all, though, are the performances of the leads. Nyqvist and Rapace are both outstanding, digging deep into the complexities of their characters (especially Lisbeth, who is not like any heroine you have ever seen in a suspense thriller for quite a while). It's also admirable that they aren't Hollywood-perfect...which has me worried about the David Fincher remake.
Because a gunfight or an explosion doesn't happen every five minutes, and it's in Swedish with English subtitles, a lot of people will probably give this a pass. Which would be a terrible mistake, because the story, direction and performances will definitely reward anyone willing to give it a shot, with one of the best 'whodunnits' to come along in years.
I think enough of this not just to award it a '9', but also to urge you, dear movie fan, to see this version FIRST, before you plunk down your twelve bucks for the big-budget studio 'makeover.' It's two hours well spent, I promise.