David FINCHER'S The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is way better but watch both versions!

Rating: 10/10 (5 January 2012)

This is a very personal review, but I do think it's worth watching the two millennium versions, it's two completely different films with the same story, very interesting. And of course reading the books are a must too.
I enjoyed the Swedish version but the US version is a lot more subtle, less explanatory and more effectively dramatic. As a thriller Fincher creates more tension, he lingers a lot more on decisive scene like when Lisbeth meets the Vanger's layer for the first time or when she meets the sadistic lawyer. The dialogues in those two scenes are not very effective, too erratic. The way Fincher films those scenes leaves more space for the actors, creates more tension and makes you quiver in your seat. The Swedish version's too fast, the fact it's fast always makes it really excellent in the action scenes though.
US Lisbeth is a lot more enigmatic, believable, fragile and threatening than Swedish Lisbeth who you can see behind the make up is a nice actress, US Lisbeth is also more dangerous looking (Swedish's Lisbeth clothes are sometimes too laughable, too nineties), she's also too old to play the part (why does the lawyer have to look after her money at 24 years old?).
The Swedish version is like a superb American type of action movie straight from the nineties, but it annoys me by the way it over explains everything (I'm not stupid and I don't need to be told twice everything, nor having stuff underline all the time). like "the access to the island was blocked for 24 hours" says Vangen, then the journalist says "so Harried disappeared when no one could leave the island" (no way?).
Fincher's version is very David Fincher, it's a auteur film, it's stark dark, masochistic, uber aesthetic and almost slick and drenched in sorrow.