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Tuesday 14 February 2012

REVIEW: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo - 2011
Director - David Fincher
Starring - Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Stellen Skarsgard and Robin Wright.
Screenplay - Steven Zaillian (screenplay), Stieg Larsson (novel)
Plot - Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) is on a mission to investigate what happened to a 16-year-old girl 40 years ago who is presumed dead.  He gains the help of misunderstood Lisbeth Salander (Mara) who is a research assistant or something more...


Forget 'the feel bad movie of Christmas', this was the feel bad movie of my life!

Wow! What can I say? I have waited a while for this film.  Yes, I am one of those people who has actually read the novel, so you know I mean business. :p

I loved it!

I felt like it was true to the story (although there was one main difference, ill talk about that in the spoilers) and all the characters  brought the film to life. David Fincher you have done it again, a fantastic film that I can't stop saying positive things about!  The whole 2.5+ hours I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see how it would be brought across visually in this new adaptation, even though knew the plot.

From Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography to Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's fantastic musical score, this film was visually stunning to your senses.  The acting in the film was once again fantastic, loved Mara as Lisbeth, she owned the character and made it her own (there I said it).  Daniel Craig was MY ideal Mikael Blomkvist, I didn't like Michael Nyqvist in the Swedish version (he was creepy).  Everyone else was great, these two stood out though (how could they not i guess they were the protagonists).


Comparing this version twith the Swedish one is a easy  for me.  I disliked the Swedish. Why you ask: one; Nyqvist as Blomkvist, two; wasn't close enough to the novel for my liking (too much was changed) and three, to much was cut out.  It had nothing to do with it being in Swedish etc. To me, it was just a film that didn't do it for me as much as this US version does.

SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS

 
Well, to tell you the truth I actually loved this versions ending to the story more than the novels.  When I saw Joely Richardson was cast as Anita Vanger I thought, WTF Anita is only in the novel for like one scene, how is this going to work, well now I know!  How creative is the aspect of Harriet actually being Anita all along (well after she runs away, ofcorse). I loved it and it was  refreshing  to see such a surprising change in the plot.

One thing I didn't like as much was that the film makers didn't add the sexual relationship between Cecila Vanger and Blomkvist... naughty naughty!

END OF SPOILERS


Overall, all five Oscar nominations that TGWTDT racked up are deserving (even though there was no love for Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross's musical score) and I wish this film all the best on the big day. Mara will not win Best Actress but it is so nice to see her nominated!


Best Part: The surprising end.
Worst Part: The only thing I can think of is the massive screening time. Ha.
Memorable Quote:
 He's had a long standing sexual relationship with his co-editor of the magazine. Sometimes he performs cunnilingus on her. Not often enough in my opinion.  - Lisbeth
9/10

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