Fabulous Movie - But not exactly in sync with the book...

Rating: 9/10 (2 February 2011)

I have seen the Stieg Larsson novels on the shelves of American bookstores for the past several years, and I wasn't really that interested in the beginning because I thought it was more of a "detective fiction" type book... and, although an avid reader, I'm not a big fan of crime fiction. Alternately, as a foreign movie ADDICT, I will watch pretty much anything because I enjoy analyzing the differences in non-American films. My friend mentioned it to me, but cautioned me that it was very hard in some places to watch (I'm sure you know the scene). Finally, I couldn't keep myself away any more and decided to watch it.
I was blown away. I never imagined that this movie would be so profound, so emotionally enthralling. The movie is so gripping that I found myself actually experiencing a level of emotional involvement that surprised myself. The perplexing storyline draws the viewer into feeling similarly desperate that the mystery must be solved, and keeps you on the edge of your seat with curiosity as things become more and more twisted. I also enjoyed the development of individual characters that influences the way they are in their every day operational thought and motivation.
After watching the movie, I finally decided I wanted to read the book. I'm not sure exactly why, since I already knew what happens... Perhaps I thought it may go into further detail, or perhaps now that I've finished the book - it was so moving I can't even remember what motivated me to watch it in the first place. Although I still absolutely love the movie, and have no regrets about watching it first (I doubt I would have found it as enjoyable if I had already read the book). After finishing the book, and reflecting on the similarities and differences, I was a little disappointed that there were differences that I thought were so important in the book. I assume since the movie was two and a half hours long, this was probably to avoid a running time of over three hours. I didn't care for the fact that certain characters that I believed to be pivotal were completely left out in the movie, and I also thought that some things were changed that were completely unnecessary - such as the way in which Wennerstrom was eliminated in the end, and the relationships between Lisbeth and her Mother, and Blomkvist and Erika.
The biggest disappointment in all (but again, I must stress the fact that I am still VERY fond of the movie), is the way that Lisbeth is portrayed. In the book, she is such a heroine. Her emotional actions and personality are portrayed quite a bit differently in the movie, and I wish they would not have downplayed the relationship between her and Blomkvist so much. I thought that the pull in her between the hardened girl with the disturbed past, and the vulnerable woman who just wants to be loved... created a way in which I feel any woman could relate to her - and I feel this made her even more a heroine.
Lastly, I wish she would have worn the t-shirt that says "Armageddon was yesterday - today we have a serious problem." in the movie!!!