Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
You can read more of contributor Laurie Coker's SXSW reviews and features at True View Reviews.
When the PR rep for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo told me not to offer my senior students passes to see the film, my curiosity piqued. Now that I have seen the Swedish (subtitled) mystery thriller, I understand completely. The film will mostly likely garner a NC-17 rating because of some graphic sex scenes and disturbing subject matter. As a huge fan of mysteries, the story intrigued me overall, even though some aspects are predictable, but I'm inclined to admit I found some scenes tough to watch.
Based on Stieg Larsson's novel Män som hatar kvinnor (Men Who Hate Women) about a journalist and a young female hacker, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo brings together several unlikely characters, connecting them by way of a 40-year mystery. The story begins with financial reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) being sentenced for three months in prison for filing a supposedly fraudulent story about a well-known businessman, but hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) knows he was set up. From there, the tale moves to Blomkvist being hired by millionaire Henrik Vagner (Sven-Bertil Taube) to investigate the disappearance of his favorite niece (Harriet) when she was 16.
While Mikael waits the six months before he serves his sentence, he decides to take the case -- assured he will make a magnificent fee -- but equally convinced his investigation will be in vain. Meanwhile, Lisbeth, who struggles with a sleazy probation officer, in some intense and unnerving sexually explicit scenes, continues to hack into Mikael's laptop, where she learns about his investigation and decides to help. Soon the pair meets in person and is hot on the case of what looks to be a serial killer's lengthy spree.
Kudos to Rapace; her depiction of Lisbeth is flawless. She demonstrates a clear passion for her character and her gripping performance carries the film. Of note are her piercing and passionate brown eyes that speak, even when she does not. As noted some scenes prove difficult to watch. Nyqvist, too, impresses as the average looking, middle aged man who is fascinated and respectful of Lisbeth's intelligence and beauty in spite of her Goth look, and together the oddly different coupling is one for which we can cheer, although some may doubt the interest she has for him.
Director Niels Arden Oplev and screenwriters Nikolja Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg, playing off the source work, offer ample red herrings and interesting twists making the mystery, although at times predictable, suspenseful enough to hold attention. I do think the film played out too long -- nearly two and a half hours, but still, I wanted to stay with its characters until the end. They have taken what I have heard is a complex start to a powerful detective trilogy and turned it into a linear tale that moves paradoxically fast, while slowly revealing its secrets.
For the most part The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is intense and at times quite grim, but gripping, too, to be certain. As an avid mystery lover, I appreciated the complexity of the tale, but sometimes, the clues are far from hidden, taking away some elements of surprise and keeping the film from being a perfect mystery/thriller. I think that the American release of the film should have held on to the original (translated) version of the title, Men Who Hate Women, because more than a mystery, the film is a disturbing look at men who do indeed HATE -- particularly women. Not all men in the film do, but the most chilling aspects involve horrific mistreatment of the fairer sex. A variety of emotions passed through me as I watched Lisbeth's two encounters with her probation officer.
Given that the film's source material was in the form of trilogy, it stands to reason there will be a sequel (at least one), but I am just guessing. Because of this, no matter how engrossingly and stylishly this thriller plays out, the final acts ends too abruptly and with a distinct open end. I suppose I should say that my husband did not leave the theatre with the same contentment as I, but that is in part because he does not like to read subtitles, so he misses key elements.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo will not please everyone and heed should be taken for those upset by graphic, violent acts against women. I am placing a B- in my grade book and giving one more shout out to newcomer Rapace for her moving performance.