The Pierced, Tattooed and Bisexual Woman in Black

Rating: 9/10 (23 June 2012)

I have always been a nerd for mysteries, especially something like the Millennium Trilogy. I read all the books written by the late Swedish journalist Steig Larsson and I have seen all three of the original films starring Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist as Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist. I was obsessed with them and I got my head into these suspenseful mysteries filled with sex, scandals, betrayals, deceit, revenge, rape and those MacGuffins where you know what's going to happen next, but you have no idea what it'll turn out to be like. That's why I was a bit obsessed and excited of seeing David Fincher's version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". My surprise is just the same as the original and the book: a rather intense, sexy, dark and twisted mystery-thriller that packs on the chills and thrills. The plot is simple: Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) was a journalist who knew right from wrong, having been accused of libel against a formidable businessman. Until he's been hired by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy man in his 80's who wants him to look for his missing granddaughter, Harriet, who disappeared years ago. That's when, of course, we get drawn to this story when the bisexual, pierced and tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) join Mikael on this ride. But while they are researching the truth and trying the piece the clues together, they realize that the Vangers have some disturbing secrets that should be kept in the closet. There is much to love and like about this adaptation of the first book of the Millennium trilogy. First, Fincher and his cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth makes the film more complex than the book and the original. Plus, it's more of a direct adaptation that remains faithful to the book with a few additional changes, thanks to Oscar-winning screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Now I couldn't possibly imagine Daniel Craig, also known as James Bond, to play a figment of Steig Larsson's imagination, but he plays it cool, smart and quiet as a journalist who hits hard, but only does it on his magazine. Plus, I love the moments when he has his glasses draped below his face. Noomi Rapace was excellent at playing Lisbeth, now we have Rooney Mara (who you remember as the ex-girlfriend of Mark Zuckerberg in "The Social Network", another Fincher masterpiece) who excels as Lisbeth and she makes the character her own and that's what great about it. The supporting cast is superb, including Stellan Skarsgard as Martin, one of Henrik's grandsons, who has some dark secrets too. Robin Wright is slight, but terrific as Mikael's lover/editor Erika Berger. Yorick van Wageningen plays, what I think is, the most disturbing and creepy version of Lisbeth's guardian Nils Bjurman you'll ever see. And Joely Richardson as Anita Vanger who plays an important part of the story. (Just wait, you'll know.) It's a complex story that obviously gets under your skin and will never let you go until the final shot. Reading the book and following it along with the film, there's a lot more skin than the original and there are some disturbing moments that even I remember from the book that translates well into the film, like Lisbeth's rape and her revenge that comes after that. I think David Fincher is a great director who knows how to make his scenes clear and perfect. He even uses enough details to make sure that this is not the same "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" that you remember 2 years ago. While the movie quickly shifts between journalism, disturbing violence, family drama, sex and sadism almost too quickly, the film is more intriguing and more intense than what you have expected to witness. See this movie. You will be entertained, shocked, surprised and mesmerized. It's worth a try.