The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

My rating is more of a 4.5Thanks for reading!𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒂𝒓𝒆.The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a 2011 psychological crime thriller film based on the 2005 novel by Swedish writer Stieg Larsson. It was directed by David Fincher with a screenplay by Steven Zaillian.Starring Daniel Craig as journalist Mikael Blomkvist and Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, it tells the story of Blomkvist's investigation to find out what happened to a girl from a wealthy family who disappeared 40 years prior. He recruits the help of Salander, a computer hacker.Possibly a nod to the original source material, ‘GWTDT’ (2011) was filmed in Stockholm (the capital of Sweden) during one of the coldest winters it has experienced in approximately 20 years; In anticipation for the setting’s effect on tone the production designer (Donald Burt) spent about a month scouting the area before production began. His familiarity with Stockholm and Cronenweth’s use of (mainly) soft lighting photography elevates and manages a bleak and generally miserable existence. Between the grays and muted colors audience members are teleported inside of the mind of two individuals trembling underneath the weight of their separate worlds without much chance for relief. This combined with perhaps one of Trent Reznor's most critically acclaimed scores - filled with bells and sounds that are rather benign and minimalistic on their own - captures a somber and ominous ambience that defines the harshness of ‘GWTD’ (2011)’s overarching environment and course of action.In Larsson's writing equal opportunities are taken to expand on background information regarding his two primary characters, but in Fincher’s interpretation much of what is relevant to Blomkvist is treated like a bit of an afterthought. Issues plaguing him are alluded to in stride - mainly being woes related to work and his ongoing (intimate) relationship with his (married) boss - but it's Salander’s reality that is given significantly more attention. This certainly comes at a price since she becomes more tightly packaged to avoid convolution or unresolved points of contention - there's absolutely no mention of her mother or close friends - but her sense of loneliness and inconsolableness makes complete sense contextually speaking. It is only further worth noting that as a result of the conflation of Mara's reserved ( but powerful) prowess and Craig's iconically charismatic appeal that their respective roles and goals their respective characters have in common at the core - since they are both essentially detectives - comes through despite all the differences that lay between them.(#Funfact: The piercings (including multiple ear, eyebrow, and nipple piercings) that Mara has as Lisbeth Salander are real, and are not cosmetic simulations. She insisted on having the piercings done as a means of transforming in to her character since she does have them in the book)Now - It would be arguably irresponsible to write this review and not comment on the rape scenes in this film. They (yes, they, because revenge rape is still rape) occur during the approximate timestamps of 53:09-54:47 and 1:05:35-1:07:08 and are pretty notoriously graphic. These scenes alone have been at the center of their own controversy and in some ways I can validate claims that they are divisive; even more so, the nature in which they are present might be quite possibly unnecessary for the sake of digesting Fincher’s particular take on this story.Nonetheless, it's possibly paramount to know that the inspiration behind this particular work by Larsson is rooted in a loosely personal experience; when he was 16 he actually witnessed a person by the name of Lisbeth (so, the name is NOT a coincidence) get sexually assaulted without intervening (why? I can't find an official statement about that, but I can make some pretty good guesses) and he used his writings as a way of exploring the feelings related to guilt and remorse that understandably plagued him until the day that he died (which, this trilogy was published posthumously after his death at 50 years old). More importantly, however, Lisbeth is written as a survivor and not simply a victim of her circumstances, and Fincher’s use of this trauma (and, more importantly, how she reacts afterwards) as a plot device ends up having the potential to empower despite unintentionally placating, pacifying, and offending some of his viewers.(P.S. I do think that the intimate relationship between Blomkvist and Salander (at least the physical part of it) is a bit rushed in this film, but it does exist in the source novel and can't simply be ignored without affecting the cohesiveness of the plot and its conclusion)(P.S.S. the collection the bruises seen on Mara's body after the rape occurs when she is taking a shower are mostly real, and were sustained while filming this particular scene. Just a not so #funfact that I felt was worth sharing.)Two and a half hours of run time? In my world that inches on basically being a threat: good luck holding my attention for that long without me getting distracted or inevitably preoccupied.Luckily for people like me - ‘GWTDT’ (2011)s’ expositional pieces avoid being mundane by craftily weaving the introductory pieces most relevant to Blomkvist and Salander beside and within one another. Because of this there's always a steady change in the environment visually, and this alone makes for a free-flowing and entertaining narrative. In addition to this the details most important to the central investigation are compiled neatly as opposed to mimicking Larsson intricately fabricated and hardscrabble elaborations. This consequently makes the “twists” a little less of surprise - and the pieces systemically and conveniently fall in a line like dominoes - but Fincher’s delivery is sound, stable, and unquestionably satisfactory when all is said and done. Making entertainment out of 672 pages of hard text is no easy task nor is capturing the nature of work that taps into themes and subject matter described as mature and equally disturbing.Fincher has a power of sorts: the ability to wield and harness evil without mindlessly relishing in its influence or unintentionally embellishing it. In simplest terms 'GWTDT (2011)’ Is another occasion for Fincher to arrive at - and fortunately for us he's always up to the challenge.

This book is very violent and people who avoid that should be warned. I do not like violent books a lot of the time but this one is so well written and so engaging and the violence is pinpointed to the situation. I have read all the books in this series and love them as well as the movies made from them. It is a Swedish series. My husband also loves them.

When American filmmakers decided to put forth a second adaptation of the Swedish vampire/drama/horror film, "Let the Right One In", a mere two years after the first one had been released in Sweden, I was pretty angry. Like many other geeks who'd seen the original adaptation of the Swedish novel, I thought that not enough time had passed(2 years)since the release of the first film, and that there was certainly no justification for the second adaptation. Additionally, the Swedish "Let the Right One In" adaptation was an unbelievably well made film(a classic in my opinion)and I believed that an attempt at an American adaptation so soon after the advent of the original film was somewhat disrespectful. "At least allow the original film to occupy its place in the horror pantheon for at least a few years before some hack director is given permission to besmirch the legacy of the first film with his/her adaptation," is what I'd said to myself after becoming privy to the announcement of the new film.After initially vowing never to see the American adaptation of "Let the Right One In", the relentless positive buzz that preceded the film's release date led to a change of heart. Immediately after watching the American adaptation I thought "Wow. I am so glad that I decided to watch this movie." The American adaptation was different from the Swedish adaptation in many ways. In fact, the American film had some good qualities that did not exist in the Swedish version. That said, I enjoyed both movies immensely. Each movie appealed to a distinct part of my whole personality, thereby engendering a richer experience for me. Most of the professional critics would probably agree.Fast forward to December 21, 2011, and the movie going public is faced with a similar phenomenon. In 2009, a Swedish adaptation of the Stieg Larson novel, "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo", was released to critical and box office acclaim in Sweden. It was then transferred to the United States for limited release. The film became a critical and popular hit in the United States, made a star out of actress Noomi Rapace(who did a great job as the lead) and eventually made an American idol out of the novel's heroine, Lisbeth Salander. Again, a mere two years passes between the release of both films, and thankfully, the film's director is no Bret Ratner. He is David Fincher, the brilliant auteur who has directed seminal films such as "Seven", "Fight Club", and the "Social Network". With Fincher's name attached to the American Adaptation, it gains instant credibility. However, lovers of the first film are still skeptical. They are afraid that the new version will not live up to the standards of the original adaptation. Well, I'm here to say that the hand wringers can rest easy. David Fincher's version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is just as good, if not better, than the Swedish original.Many of you who are reading this review are familiar with Stieg Larson's novel. It features a character named Lisbeth Salander, a 24 year old genius computer hacker whose life has been made very difficult because of the psychological/sexual/physical abuse that has been put upon her by male authority figures. Because of this abuse, Lisbeth comes to despise men. That is until she comes into contact with disgraced journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, with whom she teams up with to solve the 40 year old "murder" of Harriet Vagner, a relative of wealthy businessman, Henrik Vagner. As they investigate the disappearance of Harriet, Lisbeth and Mikael become involved in a sexual relationship, where upon Lisbeth develops feelings for the rakish reporter. They are able to solve the case together even as the relationship between Mikael and Lisbeth becomes complicated.All of the actors do well for themselves in this movie adaptation, especially actress Rooney Mara, who really gives her all as Lisbeth. Noomi Rapace was great as Lisbeth in the Swedish version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo". However, Rooney Mara's physical and psychological interpretation of the damaged Lisbeth really grabs you. Anyone who has read the book will tell you that Rooney Mara's Lisbeth fits more with their idealized image of Lisbeth; an emaciated, pale, sexy, and sometimes androgynous girl/woman with a really nasty streak if provoked. Rooney has already been nominated for a Golden Globe for her performance, and is predicted to get more attention during the upcoming awards season. Daniel Graig is solid as Mikael Blomkvist, and Stellen Skarsgard gives a scary, creepy performance as Martin Vanger. Oh, and special kudos to Yorick Van Waginengen, whose performance as Bjurman(Lisbeth's abusive social worker) really makes you despise his character. You will rejoice when he receives his comeuppance in a brutal scene.David Fincher's version of "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" moves much quicker than the Swedish version, even though the film runs almost 3 hours. Everything about Fincher's film is leaner/edgier than the previous version: the lead characters are younger and nastier, the editing is quicker, and the dialog is sharper. Much more of Stieg Larson's story is told in David Fincher's movie than in the previous version; and this allows the director to really develop the relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael. I also like the tone of this movie. It's a dark, cold and gray movie. I don't think that the sun ever shines in one scene, and given the subject matter of the film(female rape and murder)it would be wrong for the movie to be filmed in any other way besides the dark and gray.So go watch this movie. You'll be sufficiently transfixed by it. And if you haven't seen the Swedish version of the film, watch that too. They are both wonderful movies, and the positive critical reception is nearly identical for both movies as well. A warning though. If you have not seen the first movie or read the books, prepare yourself for some disturbing content.

The movie has excellent actors and suspenseful to the very end! Best movie made in recent year's my opinion!

mir hat der Film sehr gut gefallen. Die beiden Hauptdarsteller sind toll und die Geschichte wird spannend erzählt.LEIDER wurde nur dieser Teil der „Millennium“-Reihe" von Stieg Larsson mit dieser Besetzung verfilmt.Die schwedische Produktion ist auch gut, kommt aber für mich nicht an diese heran

Ottima transazione

Perfecta para completar tu colección de David Fincher. Este remake, en lo personal, es tan bueno como el original. Fincher siempre cuida las ediciones de sus películas. Lastima que no tengan cuidado en el embalaje.

観たけどやっぱりフィンチャー監督の作品！って感じです！

Es menos densa que la versión sueca pero me ha gustado mucho y me ha sorprendido porque no me lo esperaba. No puedo evitar pensar en James Bond cuando veo a Daniel Craig pero, me ha gustado su trabajo. Rooney Mara una caña.