The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo review

Henrik Vanger: You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies. The most detestable collection of people that you will ever meet - my family. 

Director: David Fincher
(2011)

When it comes to remakes, sequels and reboots, I'm almost always in the group that strongly opposes the decision to make such a film, even more so when it’s a Hollywood remake of a foreign masterpiece. While I sure as hell won’t be watching Spike Lee’s Oldboy remake, I did decide to watch David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo instead of the original. Why? Because it’s directed by David Fincher.

While this decision may seem silly and slightly absurd, Fincher’s track record has so far been fantastic and out of the many I've seen they’ve all been likeable, riveting pieces of cinema. So while the original Swedish trilogy is definitely something I intend to watch, I'm more than happy to wait for the ‘American’ versions instead. Although this wait might be easier said than done, as The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a fantastic thriller that keeps you guessing thanks to its twisting plot and engaging characters.

It’s obvious from the opening scene that you’re watching a Fincher film. It has Jeff Cronenweth’s stunning cinematography, Trent Reznor’s understated yet effective score and a muted colour scheme that plunges Stockholm into a dreary yet provocative haze. Our protagonist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) has just lost a court case for libel, and now possesses a depleted bank account and a reputation in tatters. Things begin to turn around when industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) offers him a murder mystery case that has gone unsolved for 40 years, concerning his niece, Harriet. Henrik is convinced the killer is a member of his family, all of whom live on the same island that possesses only one bridge to the mainland. Juxtaposing Mikael’s journey is that of Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) a mentally damaged woman who is an exceedingly talented hacker with a bizarre dress sense.

What's so fantastic about these 2 characters is how Fincher and his award winning editors Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter perfectly pace these plot arcs in the first half of the film. We spend the exact amount of time with Mikael and his initial clue mongering before getting an insight into Lisbeth’s life, in which she suffers the abuses of her new social worker and an attempted mugging on a subway. This allows for a breathless pace, allowing for intricate yet never overly complicated plot to become totally engrossing. The second half of the film also receives such superb treatment and the 2 and a half hour running time simply flies by; a colossal achievement for a film of such length and intricacy.

The complex plot is thanks to Steven Zallian’s stellar script, a solid adaptation from the book of Stieg Larsson. By drip feeding the audience clues in amongst plenty on exposition, Zallian gives the viewer enough information to keep up with the plot, but never allows for them to become overly knowledgeable about which direction events will travel in next. The dialogue doesn’t feature the quirks or snappy pacing that was so prominent in The Social Network, but this is a different breed of film, one that's cold and mysterious as opposed to being overtly smart and nerdy. The script falters towards the end, where the climax of the book is relegated to mildly gripping epilogue. The reveal itself is somewhat lacking also, but this can be chalked up to the build-up being so finely crafted; the payoff simply couldn’t live up to tactful work from both director and writer.

One thing is for sure, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a dark, unsettling film. Violence and murder are brutal, but almost pale when compared to the early rape scene. It’s hard to stomach, but Fincher knows its importance to character development, so the full force of such an evil act is shown. Such a scene would be pointless if the protagonists weren’t engaging, but thankfully Craig, Mara and Plumber all do more than enough to show the depth and nuances of their characters. The payoff might not be mind blowing, but The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a smart, riveting thriller guided with Fincher’s talent and precision. Easily one of the best remakes ever, as well as the best thriller of 2011.

8