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Monday, December 12, 2011

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Q: What’s the movie about?

A:  Based on the book of the same name, this remake of the movie of the same name that came out two years ago, retells the Swedish story of a defamed journalist and his assistant (Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara) who try to solve the mystery of a teenage millionaire's untimely death in the 1960s-- only this time, it's American-style!

Q: Who’s in the movie?

A:  Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright, Yorick van Wageningen, Joely Richardson, Geraldine James, Goran Visnjic, Donald Sumpter, Ulf Friberg

Q: Is this movie worth the price of admission?

A:  PhotobucketGo!  I was lucky enough to have missed the first version of this movie as well as the book, so I got to enjoy this clever thriller as if for the first time, because it was my first time.  

Q: Will this movie make me laugh?

A:  Bizarrely, yes, about three times.

Q: Will this movie make me cry?

A:  It's pretty cold, but there is one part that will break your heart.

Q: Will this movie be up for any awards?

A:  Clearly David Fincher and Trent Reznor are trying for a two-peat, and I think they have a chance.

Q: How is the Acting?

A:  It was a big deal when they cast Rooney Mara (best known as the girl who dumps Mark Zuckerberg in The Social Network creating the impetus for him to start The Facebook) in the part of Lisbeth Salander.  Well, she lives up to the hype.  Then again, I never saw Noomi Rapace in the part, so for all I know she's just imitating the original performance.

Q: How is the Directing?

A:  There's a reason David Fincher is considered the David Fincher of movie directing.  He brings movement and artistry to scenes that would be stagnant in a lesser director's hands.  With him, you can see where the script stops and the vision begins.  And yet he does it all without drawing attention to his own work-- which may be what I respect most about his style.

Q: How is the story/script?

A:  A good story is a good story in any language.  The people who read the book thought so.  The people who saw the Swedish movie thought so.  And the people who see this version will think so, too.

Q: Is there anything else worth mentioning about the movie?

A:  I'm assuming there will be two more parts, as with the Swedish version, but I'm still waiting to find out the significance of the Dragon Tattoo.

Q: Where can I see the trailer?

A: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Trailer

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4 comments:

ArtsBeatLA said...

Hmmnn, sounds good, tho I doubt Mara could hold a candle to Rapace, but then again I've only seen the first one.

SPOLIER ALERT -- There is no signif to the tattoo, just that she has one.

Looking forward to Fincher's take. I am a fan even tho I couldn't get thru Social Network after two attempts.

Anonymous said...

There is no significance to the tattoo - people just believe so because the book was re-titled for the english speaking market - it wasn't originally called "The girl with the dragon tattoo", it was called "Men who hate women".

Anonymous said...

It's not expanded on much in the Fincher version (whittled down to a line of dialogue) but traumatic events lead Lisbeth to get tattoos (hence the new one on her ankle after the rape). The dragon is a hint about her mysterious past, which Fincher all but ignored, but which he will surely be forced to address properly in the next two films.

I thought the Swedish version did a lot better job on the dragon itself, first of all, but more importantly on Lisbeth's past (through tantalizing flashbacks). This was possible because all three movies were always going to be made by the same Swedish team, whereas going in, Fincher had no guarantees that he'd be making the next two movies.

All that being said, the American version of Dragon Tattoo was extremely enjoyable, Mara's performance a particular highlight, and I can't wait for them to make the rest of the trilogy.

Mythbuster2009 said...

I love you how you said this movie will make us laugh (only) 3 times. I had pretty much the same experience. Nervous laughter. It's a movie that lived up to the hype I heard about it. Nice review, picking out the pertinent points, values of this movie. Thank you for sharing! :)