A powerfully done story

Rating: 8/10 (24 December 2011)

I won't add any spoilers as this is too good a movie to spoil. So how do I review it? We'll give it a shot. This is primarily about the American film.
First, if you have not read the book OR seen the original Swedish film, do not do either. We take it for granted that the book is always better than the film - and that is certainly true in this case. But if you read the book first it will spoil the film, so by all means read the book, but read it after you see the film; both films. The original Swedish film is outstanding in all respects.
I have a great suggestion for the world of filmmaking: The next time you find yourself with such a stunning book to make into a film, get together the American and Foreign interests and make the films side-by-side. It would drastically reduce the overall costs and just as drastically shorten the production schedule. Then you release the finished films; the US version to the US and the other version to the rest of the world.
First, the story is not for the feint hearted, it's brutal at times and portrays the seamier side of humanity very graphically. The story hit most of the important stuff so there's no shortage of material. The film runs three hours, but it doesn't seem like it. The pacing and energy in it is sufficient to keep your attention. That means the writing was very good too, as was the directing. The overall film struck me unmistakably as a modern film noir. The cinematography reflects great skill and is responsible for making the film even better. The camera had great scenery to chew up and it was given delicious sets and beautiful weather to set the mood. It won't disappoint.
The actors chosen to work on this project were well cast and all were excellent in their portrayals. Daniel Craig gave the character believability and a sympathetic demeanor. The young woman chosen to portray Lisbeth Salander was Rooney Mara. Mara was excellent in a very demanding role. She had to subject herself to depictions of violent victimization of the worst kind and managed to make it feel very real. I think Ms. Rooney has a great future in film if someone can find her the right parts. This part was a perfect fit for it. She really makes the movie, but as the title character she should. My only complaint at all was that the sound people didn't quite manage to make all of her spoken dialog clear in spite of the accent she adopted. The accent and her manner of delivering it were quite remarkable.
All in all it's an excellent film of this genre and I was glad to have seen it.
By Bruce L. Jones http://webpages.charter.net/bruce.jones1/