title: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOOyear: 2011
cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
rating: ***
The first half of this intense, cerebral thriller, based on a novel made into a popular foreign film, hands off between two stories: one has a maligned reporter investigating the death of a young girl forty years earlier on an island inhabited by a rich and powerful family; the other a punk rock hacker tough chick dealing with a seedy government worker who doles out her allowance. The two leads, played by Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, are in fact connected from the beginning: she was hired to get the digs on his prior investigation that landed him in hot water. Eventually the two join up to solve the murder, or rather, disappearance of the young girl... and the real work begins. Director David Fincher piles on the right amount of Neo-Noir intensity, and although a particular rape scene might be a bit much for mainstream viewers, it pays off later. And after the two leads join up to tackle Craig's case they make for a unique contradictory duo: the dapper reporter and the rogue punker with that particular tattoo yet her real importance is how she can hack into computers with ease. But when their partnership turns sexual it seems forced and tacked-on: Although Rooney makes a desirably subliminal ingenue and Craig has that quiet tough guy thing going, together they have the sexual chemistry of Tom and Jerry. Other downfalls include a predictable turnout – both the killer and the fate of the victim can be seen from a mile off. And the last twenty minutes involving Craig’s redemption as a journalist thanks to his wily partner… after the main story ends with a rather clichéd torture scene followed by a quickie road chase… feels like Fincher didn’t quite know how, or when, to end the film. But the tense, intriguing buildup is everything here: and with darkly foreboding scenery and soundtrack connected like an esthetically morbid Siamese twin, it’s a unique film that, whether you’re familiar with the story or not, will mesmerize… if you let it.
Another great review. I'm going to have to finally break down and see this movie. It's not like David Fincher is on my worst director list, I love the Finch's movies. Daniel Craig, my third favorite Bond, and not a horrible actor outside of Bond, I dig. My problem is I LOVED the Swedish movies completely too much, and love the actress Noomi Rapace. DIG those movies! And what's with our current trend of Swedish movie remakes. First, LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, and now these movies. I loved the originals. I don't know about you but the UA at the Marketplace played the Swedish versions so I saw them in the movie theater was well.
ReplyDeleteAlright enough of my crankiness. Great review, and once again, you've convinced me to see another movie.
Keep it up!