Review: The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Saturday, December 17, 2011 at 9:46AM In the beginning there was only a book, but let's start with the ending. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (2011) wraps up with what can only be interpreted as a prologue to a sequel. The movie's elaborate cold case puzzle plot has long since been pieced together when our socially challenged goth heroine Lisbeth Salander sets a new revenge plot in motion. Since we're already past the two hour mark, we race through this whole new story with the speed usually reserved for Lisbeth's midnight motorcycle rides. New beginnings, middles, and endings race by us like blurry highway markers. What just happened? How satisfied the movie leaves you will surely depend on whether or not you'd like to stay in your seat waiting for the next hellish chapter to unfold.
Millions of people have eagerly flipped pages for all of the hellish chapters of the worldwide best selling "Millennium" trilogy. The Swedish literary phenomenon has already spawned three homegrown films starring Noomi Rapace (now co-opted by Hollywood for the new Sherlock Holmes movie). It's time to crack the book open again with the American version by David Fincher (The Social Network). We're jumping around in time because the experience of the movie, and this franchise in general, is also one of chapters, false starts, and piecemeal reveals.
P.S. FWIW I'd rank David Fincher 's work like so. (I'm fully aware that I like Alien³ far more than most human beings and his biggest hits far (That'd be Benjamin and I'm presuming Dragon Tattoo) far less. And yeah, I threw in the Madonna & George Michael vids cuz they're masterpieces of the form.
- THE GREATS: The Social Network (2010), "Express Yourself" (1989), Se7en (1995), "Vogue" (1990), "Freedom" (1990), Zodiac (2007), "Oh Father" (1990)
- THE GOODIES: Fight Club (1999), Panic Room (2002), Alien³ (1992) "Bad Girl" (1992) and all the other music videos. He was such a master at those...
- THE ONES I'M COOL ON THOUGH THEY HAVE THEIR INDIVIDUAL MOMENTS BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A SUPERB VISUAL STYLIST: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011) and The Game (1997)
Reader Comments (14)
I'm glad you mentioned the double standards for rating this movie R even if it includes rapes and violence.
I had decided to give it a shot, even if I'm against these instant remakes, just because it's David Fincher and I thought I had never seen a bad movie from him. Then I saw The Game listed in your post and suddenly I remembered how badly I hated that movie. So, in short. I've read the novels, I've seen the Swedish movies... I can live without another tattooed girl. And if I feel the need to solve puzzles, I'll try to think about the Dior commercial with Charlize Theron.
bad girl belongs in the great list
I've seen Fight Club more than five times. Let's just say it got better every time I watched it.
I love David Fincher with freakish aplomb so I think I'll do a little thing about him on my blog when I finally watch Girl With The Dragon Tattoo x), so damn excited! Surprised you actually like Alien3...I just couldn't swallow it I found Fincher's style to not be very refined as of yet and it just came off as a big old mess.
I have yet to read your whole review but I just can't wait to express my sympathy for how you rate Fincher's movies, as I myself liked The Social Network, Se7en, Panic Room and Fight Club all quite well, found Alien³ not bad as for as I remember, was totally disappointed by Benjamin Button and didn't like The Game at all.
Sad you didn't like the film-- I loved it-- but I agree that the last act with Lisbeth's new plot is unwanted by the time the audience gets to it.
The fact that Bad Girl is the lowest of the Madonna videos makes me question your review
How do you see it Oscar-wise? Actress, editing, cinematography?
I haven't seen it yet, but I really wish they pick a different director for each movie. I'd like to see Jonathan Demme doing a cold thriller again.
Can't wait for Wedneday night! Loved the first book and liked the first film, realizing that the film could indeed be improved upon in the remake. That's why I'm fully over the "I hate all remakes on principle!" crowd. And I don't mind that Fincher is digging in the serial killer well again either. Do what you know and are good at. I've heard that Steven Zaillian has changed a lot from the book, and that doesn't make me too happy. But I'll follow David Fincher anywhere after "The Social Network" and a few of his other films ("Seven" and "Zodiac" mainly). What I'm really hoping for is a great performance from Rooney Mara. Lisbeth Salander is already iconic. If she lands this role, then the sky's the limit for her future career prospects, Oscar nomination or not.
Hi Nat, just a question, are you going to do a review on The Iron Lady sometime soom?
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Can´t wait to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo! I made a song and musicvideo influenced by the Millennium trllogy. http://www.youtube.com/user/EMMiE1337