A tremendous, multifaceted film that deserves a cinema viewing.

Rating: 9/10 (31 March 2010)

The first of a trilogy based on Steig Larsson's bestselling novels, Dragon Tattoo is a macabre, yet fascinating, story that will stick you for a long time. Scribes Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Hiesterberg have successfully transferred the intense content from book to script, complete with interesting, multi-layered characters, ambiguously intriguing sub-plots and a highly-intelligent and mature theme – all of which demand your undivided attention. The complex plot will be most appreciated by those who don't mind thinking through a movie whilst those who just want to switch off may struggle to keep up.
Danish director Oplev treats his material with the utmost respect. Every shot is crafted meticulously, nothing in the frame is filler. Every word has importance, every look a meaning. The hard-to-swallow moments are handled with such care that their impact is strengthened, causing some scenes to be very difficult to watch, despite nothing overtly gratuitous being shown on screen. It's the lingering looks or the animalistic sounds that get under your skin, it's the malevolent sneer of one particularly evil character before he commits a heinous crime that'll get you angry. But this is Oplev's objective. Sexual abuse, murder, abduction, torture – these aren't issues that are meant to be brushed aside, no matter how uneasy it makes you feel.
Getting most of the critical plaudits so far has been Noomi Rapace and it's easy to see why. Her gravitas performance as the complicated Lisbeth is filled with subtle nuances and unspoken feeling. Rapace manages to beguile us with her busy eyes; something is always going on behind them and we can't help but wonder. But if Lisbeth is Dragon Tattoo's Joker, then Blomkvist is its Batman and Michael Nyqvist does a solid job in the less-meatier role, shrouding Blomkvist in restrained emotion that adds an extra level of interest.
This Swedish film is a tremendous, multifaceted drama / thriller that deserves a viewing at the cinema.
4.5 out of 5 (1 - Rubbish, 2 - Ordinary, 3 - Good, 4 - Excellent, 5 - Classic)