Hype is a very powerful tool. I spoke about it in my IRON MAN 2 review and it also goes back to my KICK ASS review with the discussion of Chloe Moretz. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO also has hype as well, bigger than the combination of the previous two. Everyone has to mention that it was the most successful film of 2009 in all of Europe. They talk about the popular book trilogy that recently has been pushed heavily in book stores and clubs. And yet, the film is getting unnoticed by the general populace largely due to it being unrated and the un-American notion of reading subtitles.
Don't wait for the American remake. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is worth a trip hopefully to your local independent art theater. It sets itself up for an elaborate murder mystery but spends most of its cinematic energy and audience engagement with social and moral violence and ideals. The shocking material it touches upon makes pieces of abdominal crap like BAISE-MOI even more vapid, exploitative, and hypocritical.
An investigative journalist (Michael Nyqvist) is found guilty of libel against a corporate head. He has six months of freedom before commencing his sentence of three months in prison. A goth teenager (Noomi Rapace) uses her speciality at hacking to retrieve his personal information as an assignment at her job. She also faces jail time in the form of guardianship, and her latest foster parent wants to reform her completely. They both get brought in and caught up with a mystery surrounding a powerful family secluded on an island. The House of Vanger is still haunted by the disappearance of the then sixteen-year-old Harriet and her uncle wants to know if one of his family members had killed her.
I've kept the mystery simple since it does go into some great twists and turns. It is more believable and understandable than the giant conspiracy messes from the Dan Brown films and will constantly keep you guessing. Director Neil Arden Oplev creates some powerful investigation scenes and action moments. The best example, and certainly the best to show the power of cinema, is a sequence involving the last known photos of Harriet. It has Harriet reacting to two separate entities: someone involved with the plot and the audience itself. The stilted frozen eyes glare at you for intruding into the past as she then slips away into the crowd and away from reality.
Other than the hype of the book and the money it gained, critics have always pointed at one specific actor. Noomi Rapace's performance of the female hacker Lisabeth Salander is definitely the spotlight, the shining example of a strong woman. Her beginning storyline features the most disturbing moments of the film, both as a victim and as an enforcer. Rapace keeps the balance right on her acting skills, showcasing the isolation Lisabeth has worn through her troubled life while displaying the absolute courage and strength that she gives back to the harsh world. Her character always seems to be in control of the film's storyline and the players that inhabited it. Her vote on whether to send an email changes the landscape and the morality of the other characters and herself.
One habit that I find humorous and refreshing to see in a film is her constant smoking of cigarettes. Though simple-minded film critics and teachers might go with the obvious metaphor, viewing the act of smoking both as a dependent and a comfort to a person is a real treat for myself. Since the MPAA feels children are even stupider nowadays not to notice the effects of smoking, this element is one of the first to be eliminated when this becomes Americanized. And that is saying something concerning what else is in this film.
I didn't have major concerns and problems with the picture. I would often disbelieve something only for the script and direction to slam it back at myself for doubting it. The only thing that I missed was more scenes on the seclusion of the island and the Vagner family. Some of these characters hardly have any time to speak or be shown. Of course, that's why they have a book available for these complaints after you leave your discarded popcorn and drink.
THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is so far the best of anything printed on celluoid this year. It has a solid story, great performances, and scenes that will frighten you and dare to ask you about yourself and your culture. I certainly will be a member of Team Noomi, hoping that the Academy think about her fantastic acting when it comes to awards season. Skip your DVR, forget about your dumb theories about Lost. Go see something that will shake up the conventions of taste and entertainment and be enthralled.
FINAL REVIEW: 5 / 5
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