The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Movie Review

By Ron Wilkinson Mar 15, 2010, 22:52 GMT

Swedish thriller based on Stieg Larsson\'s novel. ...more

A great piece of natural indie noir film making that entertains for all of its 152-minute run time

You are a beautiful female juvenile delinquent under the court ordered supervision of a sexual pervert. You blame yourself for a past over which you had no control. You have one last chance to make things right but you need to take advantage of a man to do it. You take your chance.

Such is the world of Stieg Larsson, reportedly the bestselling novelist in the world in 2008 behind “Kite Runner” author Khaled Hosseini. He became the bestselling novelist of noir pulp fiction in the only good way a pulp fiction novelist can. He died. When he died he left behind the “Millennium” trilogy, one of which is the novel “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo.” The novel has since sold some eight million copies worldwide and after you see this film you will know why.

Lisbeth Salander is a household word in Sweden and her name will be a household word in the rest of the world once this film is released. A flawed chick with the cunning of Anjelica Huston in “The Grifters” mixed with the nerdy wise-beyond-his-years L in “Death Note” Lisbeth is cursed and gifted at the same time. She has a score to settle and she is going to settle it her way. The men of the world had better look out.

The first people on her list are those of the Nazi loving family of disappeared and presumed dead Harriet Vanger. The lovely and virginal Miss Vanger somehow found herself amongst a bunch of the best villains ever concocted by any novelist. But, then, novelist Stieg Larsson was no ordinary novelist. A left wing journalist attacking the fascists of the world by day, by night he took the hopelessness of his endeavors into a world where the good guys finally could win. He took the villains into a world where intellect and an immortal drive to the right thing would conquer wealth and seemingly limitless power and security. Good would conquer bad, against all odds.

The story of David and Goliath has nothing over this tale.

Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is a disgraced financial reporter who has been fired from his job and is on the skids. He is employed by the only good brother in a group of perpetual nasties to get to the bottom of Harriet Vanger’s disappearance. Throughout the rest of the film the young woman appears in a series of mirage-like flashbacks, coming and going through a world far too corrupt and sick to deserve her. Her uncle can’t live with his suspicions and is bound and determined to find out the truth before he dies. The problem is that Blomkvist is only half the solution. The other half is the wild card Lisbeth Salander who could turn on anybody at any time.

Plus she rides that motorcycle.

 "Girl" is a complete thumbs up. It is a fresh and unusual mix of film noir themes combined with a uniquely non-commercial and idiosyncratic point of the view. Noomi Rapace is fantastic playing Lisbeth Salander. Her performance and the character of Salander have attained cult status around the world. While her character seems to be greatly influenced by the "L" character in "Death Note," and will have fantastic resonance with teens through 30-somethings around the world, the male protagonist Blomqvist has the classic alienated fuzziness of Jack Nicholson in “Chinatown.” He is one tough nut but will do the right thing, for the right woman.

The subtle film noir derivation makes the film attractive to older audiences as well. Between the two leads the film is a knockout. This is because of the updated, nerdy, computerized Sherlock Holmes nature of the Salander character, not to mention the high voltage snap of B heroes from "I Spit on Your Grave" and "Bandit Queen."

Overall the film appeals as a fresh mix of detective film noir with pulp novel graphic sex and nerdy intelligence. It is something different even though the experienced who-dunnit fans in the audience will sniff out the ending a bit before the last scenes. At two and a half hours in length the film is long but it is one of the few films that can keep the audience on the edges of their seats for the entire time. It is as good as it is unassuming. It dares you to figure out the truth and then has one final laugh with you.

Directed by: Niels Arden Oplev
Written by: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg (screenplay) from Stieg Larsson novel

Starring: Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace

Release:  March 26, 2010
MPAA: Not Rated
Runtime: 152 minutes
Country: Sweden / Denmark / Germany
Language: Swedish with English subtitles
Color: Color