Well-executed particularly given some tough source material

Rating: 7/10 (12 April 2012)

David Fincher of the brilliant "Fight Club" is to be congratulated in his success in translating Steig Larsson's smartypants, hyper-violent, dank steampunk novel into an entertaining movie. One wishes Ron "Opie" Howard could have shown the same skill in his dismal filming of the Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code". Fincher does not shy away from presenting the convoluted, vicious story of intrigue in the very foreign country of Sweden as written. This trust in the material, which Howard did not show, reveals an acceptance of the fact that this story was inexplicably popular among book clubbing housewives. Fincher presses the accelerated right from the beginning and does not let up through the entire 2 and 1/2 hour run-time risking losing viewers as the twists of the mystery unfold. Although tough to follow and often tough to watch the intriguing story winds up like a really good episode of "The X-Files". Also to be congratulated is the Academy of Arts and Sciences who recognized that newcomer Rooney, quite literately, put her all into what is ultimately an unpleasant and unattractive character. It was a nomination and maybe even an award that was well-deserved. Daniel Craig, who need to carry the film given the constraints of the largely non-verbal Salandar character, makes for a passable Blumquist. Stockholm native Stellan Skarsgard excels portraying a mixture of bourgeoisie charm and generational psychopathy. In short, it's a tough sit but a rewarding one.