Life is seldom either/or. I much prefer both/and

Rating: 8/10 (17 March 2013)

Years ago, I blundered into Stieg Larsson's "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." I think I was guided there by one of the wonderful book gurus at our local Kazoo Book store.
I was stunned and fascinated by Larsson's ability to weave a thriller, a mystery, a complicated series of romantic relationships, each separate yet all connected to a maverick discredited journalist who is given a second chance to bring down a shyster, avaricious financial predator.
I read all three books in the trilogy, then listened to each them on CD audio book as I drove long distance and around town. Accomplished actors read Larsson's words with clever use of dialect, accent, interpretation and use of silence, pauses and emotion. I began to wonder just how influential the translator was in the production of Larsson's books; he passed away before the books' phenomenal success.
Looking at Larsson's literary prowess prior to the publication of this series, I felt as though I were looking at the life of Peter Jackson, who produced The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. Both auteurs had enjoyed a strong modicum of success before their respective hits, but it would be like comparing The Beatles or the Eagles teenage fledgling attempts at composing and singing and instrumentation, with their grandiose later successes.
Enter Daniel Craig, and Rooney Mara, and Robin Wright, with a great writer and director propelling this reboot. Craig tries mightily to be a puppy dog kind of guy, the sort of men women are irresistibly drawn to. Women may be drawn to Craig, but not for those reasons. He is still very much in his James Bond mode with his body builder physique and 8% body fat,in this American rendition of the Swedish novel/movie. The Swedish movie grabbed me immediately because characters like Eric Berger played totally convincingly by Lena Endre, instantly become the character. No doubts. No qualms. The Swedish movie evinces the aura of believability, verisimilitude by feeling like a documentary of the original novel; however, the Swedish movie, unlike the American version, can be readily comprehended by an American audience, by any audience that has not read the book.
I like Christopher Plummer's portrayal of Harriet's grandfather; he's at the top of his form. But the actor portraying that same role in the Swedish version is dead spot on. It's in the eyes; the forty year pain of running a high-powered corporation coupled with 40 years of personal loss show up in the crumbling, but brave, demeanor of the Swedish actor. Plummer is a skilled thespian playing another role.
Robin Wright is a gorgeous woman, but she walks through this role, probably trying for a minimalist effect. I believe instantly that the dark intense fire in the eyes of Lena Ender every time she looks Michael Nyqvist in the eyes is real, smoldering, to die for.
Rooney Mara does an excellent job of portraying Lisbeth Salander, but Noomi Rapace's interpretation is not-of-this-earth. She put so much authentic preparation in that role that her subsequent acting roles have severely paled in contrast. She even seems out of place in the second Robert Downey, Jr. Sherlock Holmes sequel because she's still in her Salander role to some extent. I'm not sure she'll ever break out of it - unless she's prepared to inject the same gestalt effort into each every character the way she did with Lisbeth. Some child actors never do adapt to the metamorphosis to adult actor. Some can. Mickey Rooney managed it, but a pale shadow of "Boys' Town" with Spencer Tracy.
Nyqvist's portrayal of Bloomqvist is also spot on. More than a bit out of shape, he has the eyes, the demeanor, the tender vulnerability that women like Erica and Lisbeth and even the ultra-secret Swedish operative Monica, would-be Olympic gymnast, who works out two hours a day, finds absolutely entrancing, that effortless come-hither quality that Nyqvist projects. Craig's appeal is much more alpha-atop-the-macho-food-chain. Craig was excellent in "Layer Cake," and for audiences who have not read the books and seen the Swedish movies, he will help make millions for this version; however, the American translation is so convoluted at several points, it occurred to me that had the plot, characters and the very ambiance of Larsson's trilogy not been coursing around inside of me, I'd have been lost, or, at best, very confused.
The American picture is doing well. I wonder how it will play in Sweden? I hope that screenwriter, Steven Zaillian, director, David Finscher, and the cast learn something fundamental, i.e. If it ain't broke, don/t fix it.
The Swedish adaptation of the second book in the trilogy,"The Girl Who Played with Fire," was merely acceptable compared to the first film. The third Swedish film, based on the last book in Larsson's trilogy was so very chopped to pieces and badly edited, I was crushed. That book is the very best mystery, thriller, murder-romance-suspense novel I have ever read. I was an English teacher for 43 years and have been attracted to stories like this since I was 12.
You can't make a silk purse out of sow's ear. No, it isn't that bad. My father who did not read much but was an avid movie fan and I often argued about movie-to-book adaptations. It was impossible to convince him that the movie lacked something, that a two hour rendition of a novel that was hundreds of pages of events and powerful nuances, could possibly be better. Movies are like outlines, or lie-detector tapes, of the books they purport to represent. Books fill in lavishly, profusely, what movies may merely indicate or suggest.
I could be totally mistaken. I am, after all, a human being, and I have my biases. But, if you're curious, just for fun, watch the Swedish version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," and see what you think. I'm glad that both versions exist.