Director: David Fincher
Starring: Rooney Mara, Daniel Craig
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   Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo depicts the struggles of a Swedish journalist and female computer hacker as they cope with both personal obstacles and a shared professional mission: to investigate the inexplicable murder of a girl who disappeared some forty years past. While a 2009 Swedish adaptation of the novel was received with mixed reviews, this American version has been released in theaters following an early stream of positive feedback from critics.
   Judging from the film, it’s not hard to see why.
   The movie opens with a title sequence featuring a black and white montage of dark oil dripping over vague forms we can only barely discern—engulfing a tangle of USB cords, over a tightened metal chain, splashing onto the silhouettes of two darkened human bodies.
   In a way, the opening credits are not only visually astounding but embody precisely what the movie is about. It’s about violence, crime, mystery, and the question of sexual agency, where characters and events, as well as the forms of the opening credits, are for the most part obscured from the eyes of an audience that can only attempt to see through the overlying veneer to reach some internal truth. Beneath the veil of corruption and façade of smooth illusion lie the injustices committed in secret by men and especially against the opposite sex—a particularly potent theme considering the original title of Larsson’s based-upon book: Men Who Hate Women. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo inevitably encroaches the space where we attempt to define the difference between right and wrong, and causes us to question its characters based on such moral grounds.
   In regards to the original book, I’ve read the series upon which the movie is based, and I can say that it was loyal to the essence of the plot, save for one character change at the end of the film. There is, of course, the understandable need to condense such a complex novel into a roughly two-and-a-half-hour timeslot. Fincher does in fact serve brilliantly as director of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, lending the story his knack for creating a sharp visual aesthetic, seen here in the film’s precise cinematography and capturing of the stark Swedish landscape. He succeeds in imbuing the central plot with the necessary sense of mystery, leading the audience along with the protagonists on their journey of inquiry and intrigue to its final conclusion. And in doing so, Fincher manages to evoke an appreciation of the film’s misunderstood and extraordinarily talented lead characters.
   The lead role of Mikael Blomkvist is well played to the credit of Daniel Craig, who endows the nearly bankrupt reporter with the proper sense of evasiveness and manner of questionable moral behavior, but with an endearing and ultimately triumphant air of humanity and investigative commitment. His counterpart, Lisbeth Salander, is brought to life through the skill of actress Rooney Mara, whose talent for subtle facial expressions renders the film’s socially withdrawn and imperturbable heroine into a character whose choices we can sympathize with and whose motives we can understand.
   And it’s not just the directing and acting talent that impress. The musical score, composed by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (who wrote the award-winning score for Fincher’s last film, The Social Network), contributes a great sense of tension and thrilling movement to the scenes. It’s details like the musical background that, overall, combine with other elements of production to contribute to the movie’s high quality and satisfying delivery of a story with its own substantial fan base. For those who enjoyed the original novel or who admire David Fincher’s directorial skills, it’s doubtful that the film will disappoint. Â
Grade: A-
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Watch the trailer here:Â
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