Review: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is not your mother’s formulaic mystery novel of the month, nor is it an old school Sherlock Holmes mystery of a bygone era. This is a mystery with so much more. More mystery, more depth and intrigue, just more in general, but its all there for a reason and its there to enhance the viewer’s overall cinematic experience.

The films was directed by Niels Arden Oplev and based upon the best-selling novel of the same name by Stieg Larsson. Michael Nyqvist plays a middle-aged, high-profile journalist named Mikael Blomkvist. The film opens on his being convicted of libelous reporting on a high-powered corporate businessman, accusing him of using his businesses as a cover for illegal cartel endeavors and arms smuggling. Thus begins one layer of this multi-layered mystery.

Parallel to this story is the introduction of the wild child Lisbeth Salander, played by Noomi Rapace, a 24-year old woman with an alternative flair. Her rebellious attitude, numerously pierced face and massive dragon tattoo on her back may stereotype her as a typical punk, but Lisbeth is anything but typical. She works unofficially as a professional hacker for a large security company, putting her skills to use to make a living for herself.

These two characters’ stories, like apples and oranges, merge into one as Lisbeth becomes curious about suspicions Mikael was setup. Meanwhile, a wealthy 82-year old businessman named Henrik (Sven Bertl-Taube) hires Mikael to make one last attempt at solving a 40-year cold case. Henrik is obsessed with the disappearance of his 16-year old niece Harriet. Mikael’s and Lisbeth’s paths cross and they begin combining their efforts.

This may sound like a lot to give away, but in all honesty… I’ve only barely scratched the surface of what is to be uncovered in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO. The story contains not one, not two, but three simultaneous mysteries wrapped up into a single film. While the mystery of Harriet’s disappearance is the focal point of the film, Lisbeth’s story is an equally engaging mystery itself and Mikael’s story contains a light side of conspiracy as well.

Blomkvist portrays Mikael as a man with a moral conscience, driven by his profession and the power it has for revealing the truth about bad people. Despite his commitment and his good nature, he’s a weak man, powerless without his words. Mikael is more a man of thought and reason, whereas Lisbeth is a woman of action and spontaneity. Noomi Rapace’s portrayal of Lisbeth is brooding and enigmatic, brimming with an angry vengeance withheld just beneath her skin, waiting for something to trigger her rage to boil over.

As a few of the characters in THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO come to learn, her petite figure misleads the true nature of her slightly disturbed mind and violence she is capable of committing. Lisbeth’s story is one of actions derived from a troubled past. These two characters compliment each other, both professionally and personally, as they develop an unlikely and unconventional relationship through the course of the film.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is a Swedish thriller that benefits greatly as a sum of its many accomplished parts. The adapted screenplay, co-written by Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg, relishes in the obvious strengths of the best-selling novel, creating depth and texture in the characters and their interactions. The character back-stories unfold with a marvelous simplicity, revealing just enough information to create an outline that the audience is allowed to color in on their own.

Jacob Groth provides an original score that is energetic and thrilling, effectively conveying a sense of mystery and heightened sensory emotions in all the right places. The score combines the tried and true staples of cinematic thrillers with a subtly contemporary electronic influence, in a sense melding the personalities of Mikael and Lisbeth into a metaphor of music and mood. Perhaps the most remarkable of technical embellishments in the film are the combination of cinematography (Jens Fischer and Eric Kress) and editing (Anne Østerud). The movie is filled with captivating angles and camera movement, compositions of suggestion and it’s all done without drawing excessive attention to itself.

Overall, THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO is a mystery fan’s must-see, a movie with so much substance and enjoyment it fills the 152-minute running time with exacting ease. Rarely is a movie made with such an elaborate story that is relatively so easy to follow without being predictable. The movie is worth every bit of the ticket price and more.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars