If you love great films and have a strong stomach, then sink your teeth into this flick.
Do you like intriguing, thought-provoking, and disturbing movies? Well then, I have the movie for you.
“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” is that movie.
This movie is an adaptation of the book of the same name, written by Stieg Larsson. It is the first of a trilogy of novels he has written, so get ready for two more films with these characters.
I think I may have told you this before, but I’ll say it again: The movie is ALWAYS better than the book. This is just my opinion for two reasons. One, I don’t read books (they make me dizzy). I just wait for the movie to come out. And two, people seem to get angry when I say the movie is better than the book, and that makes me laugh. Yes, I do have a warped sense of humor.
Anyhow, the movie has two major characters: a journalist (much like myself) played by Daniel Craig, of “James Bond – 007” fame, and a computer hacker/private investigator type, fantastically portrayed by newcomer Rooney Mara.
The story goes like this, Mikael Blomqvist (Craig) is sued for slander (or libel, I can never remember the difference) and is broke. Just after the trial, an enormously wealthy patriarch hires him to help figure out what happened to his niece who has been missing for 40 years and is presumed dead.
Blomqvist is making headway but he needs help, so he hires Lisbeth Salander (Mara) to sort of speed up the process with her computer skills and her unique power of persuasion. Salander jumps in feet first and the story starts screaming along at a rapid pace.
What ensues is local cover-ups, family hatred, conspiracies and corruption.
What is so great about this film is the characters. Daniel Craig is outstanding as a down-and-out journalist, but the true standout is Rooney Mara’s character: Lisbeth Salander.
Salander’s life is one giant roller coaster that never seems to go up. So basically, its just one giant downward spiral. She has grown up as a ward of the state. She needs to ask men in power for HER money so she can live. These men take total advantage of her… I’m telling you the truth here, these men (one man in particular) make me ashamed to be a man. Thank God we are not all like some of the pigs in this movie.
Don’t get me wrong, Lisbeth Salander is a STRONG woman. Maybe the strongest I’ve seen on screen, but to go through the trials and tribulations of her life, one must be strong… I fell in love with Lisbeth Salander
Rooney Mara, the girl behind “the girl” is stupendous in this role. She had to learn to ride a killer bike, (I know they have stunt doubles, but she learned anyway), she had to put her mind into this character’s head, and especially, she had to film some grotesque scenes… I’m telling you, if you don’t have a strong stomach, then this is NOT the movie for you.
What I will tell you is that this movie (in my eyes) is “Best Picture” worthy come Oscar time. And as great of a story it is and as well as Daniel Craig did, no one deserves a “best actress” statue more than Mara… I’ve seen a lot of women in films this year and I cannot recall a better performance.
This film is worth seeing for the story, the performances and especially the vivid imagination Stieg Larssen has for characters in his novels. I can’t wait to see his next two books turned into movies.
If you’ve got the intestinal fortitude for the dark and ugly, then you must see this film.
Way to go Rooney Mara. You got THIS MAN in your corner.
Two fun facts today: One, David Fincher directed this film along with some other great ones like “Se7en,” “The Social Network,” and my favorite, “Fight Club.” Two, this movie was made in 2009 in Denmark and was just as good a film as this one if not better (which I find hard to believe, but my friend swears by it, so I believe him).