The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - 4 smiles

I really liked the original Swedish version of Stieg Larsson’s best selling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, starring Michael Nyqvist (the villain in Tom Cruise’s latest Mission Impossible movie) and Noomi Rapace. And, being a fan of the novels, I thought director Niels Arden Oplev did an effective job of bringing that story to the screen. So I was skeptical when I heard that there was going to be an English version. But I have to admit that director David Fincher, working with a well-written screenplay by Steven Zaillian, has created a superior movie. And, best of all, Fincher takes a narrative that has roots in the source material and makes it his own. One of the most noticeable differences between the two movie versions is that Fincher takes more time to develop his two characters as individuals before bringing them together. And Fincher uses his movie to illustrate that society breeds hidden rot and corruption. While Daniel Craig is good as the protagonist, Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth is something to behold. She’s a girl-child tapped in a woman’s body whose moments of uncontrollable rage hint at unspeakable tragedies in her childhood. Lisbeth is both unfeeling and fragile and totally a mesmerizing and sympathetic character.

Disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist (Craig) is brought to an island community in the north of Sweden to meet with a retired millionaire Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer). Henrik would like Mikael to look into a 40-year old murder, a case that has haunted him for half of his life. In 1966, Henrik’s 16-year old grand-niece, Harriet, disappeared and was assumed murdered. Her body was never found but there was no evidence to indicate that she left the island. Her killer has gone unsdiscovered and unpunished, but Henrik believes the circle of suspects to be small: his family (an assorted bunch of oddballs, malcontents, and Nazis). After taking the job, Mikael recruits the asocial computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Mara) to be his assistant. Lisbeth, a whiz with gadgets and research, proves invaluable as Mikael’s investigation leads him deeper into the web of a dangerous serial killer. It’s surprising that Fincher managed to secure an R-rating for a movie whose depictions of sexual sadism and consensual intercourse are so graphic. And although this might not be the happiest theater-going experience you have this holiday season, it’s one that will have you saying, ‘Wow!’ as you leave the theater. 12/30/11