Nov 25, 2013
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I'd never read the book, but I went into watching this wondering if it would maybe be reminiscent of Red Dragon/Manhunter. Just, 'cause... you know, big dragon tattoos and stuff.
Just to let everybody know, straight from the get go, I did actually like this movie. Quite a bit. But, when a film receives anywhere near as much "hype" as movies like The Girl With The Dragon tattoo did, then I have to come in extra harsh. So here it is, my review of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo!
Adapting a book into a film is never easy, you either limit your creative freedom, or you ignore that and stray too far, then the fans of the book who'll be making up most of your audience will send you death threats and the like. Well probably most of them will just have a bit of a whinge, but you never know. I for one have not read the book, though my girlfriend has, and she told me many of the differences between the two mediums. Still, given that I've not read it personally, I'm reviewing the film as a stand alone.
Lisbeth Salander (above right) is one of the films two main characters. She's a computer hacker and more or less a genius (not to mention very good looking). You never really find much about her out, and though I'm sure this was intentional (the the film is just one of a trilogy after all) I personally found it a little annoying. I like my characters relatable, particularly in a film as drama heavy as this. Still, Noomi Rapace acts the role perfectly, and I more or less was able to pass all annoyance I felt from her off as angsty youth-ness.
Interestingly, the first half of the film is split between Lisbeth and another main character, Mikael. His story is about how he is disgraced journalist, hired by a wealthy businessmen to help locate his missing niece, who hasn't been seen in forty years. Apparently now is the time to get out the big guns. Dubious, but who am I to argue. Thinking about it now, the latter half of the film is about Lisbeth joining up with Mikael to help him continue to do what he was already doing. Which in my mind made Mikael more the major protagonist than the eponymous Lisbeth was. Also I'm quite certain he had more screen time.
The Girl with the Dragon Tatto's half of the first half (quater?) is about her hacking Mikael's computer, (there was a reason for this I'm sure) and being raped by her legal guardian (above left). Seriously, this guy was a million times more creepy than the killer they're trying to track down the whole rest of the film, it honestly made it all rather anticlimactic.
The movie had more short-comings. There's a bunch of Nazis, in real life you'd assume this is a bad thing sure, but usually they spice up a films bad-guy-liness. Here though it's like they've just been thrown in for the Hell of it. Also, it's possible that the whole Lisbeth/guardian rape thing and how she dealt with it was meant to be empowering, but honestly I think it toed the line far too closely to misogyny. Another reason I'm so surprised the film made in big in the US, I don't think I've ever heard so much critical acclaim for a movie with this much sexual violence. Of course I get that it's just a film, but it sure as Hell seems like the MPAA don't, so how'd it get such world-wide renown?
Also on the bad, don't even bother trying to figure out "who-dunnit" in this "who-dunnit" film. Another case of crime thriller where the audience is purposefully left in the dark, then we're told what's going on point blank. I seriously couldn't even recall what half of the "mighta-dunnit" bad guys were doing in the story. If any of you have watched the extended edition of the Return of the King, you'll know what a great movie feels like when it just refuses to end, well, this is another shining example of exactly that.
All that being said, let me take you back to the beginning. I do actually like this film, I think I managed to say almost everything bad about this movie that can be said. It's dark, it's brutal, it's emotional, it gets you thinking, it's beautiful and brilliant. Im sure a Hell of a lot of people out there would have some trouble stomaching this film, but if you can get past all that, (maybe concentrate on the subtitles if you're having a bad time) then there's no reason not to give it a go. I've seen worse, I've seen better, but I'm sure looking forward to opening up my copy of The Girl Who Played With Fire, and seeing where this all goes next.
78%
-Gimly
Verified