This fantastic thriller is based on the first book of a trilogy of one of the most important and popular novels in recent history. Written by the late Stieg Larson, Dragon Tattoo is a mix of social criticism, murder, mystery and suspense. It's also one of the best Swedish films ever made.Stieg Larsson died in 2004, a year before The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was published. He also wrote another two books featuring the same characters and a rumoured fourth one in production. All three episodes of 'The Millennium Trilogy' have been released in the UK with an American remake planned for a Boxing day release this year. There's little doubt that the other two films will also get the remake treatment over the coming years.
Dragon Tattoo takes it's time with the separate stories of the leading characters which is slightly unusual for a fast paced thriller. It relies more on the pursuit of clues then on sudden twists. Few people will be shocked to find out who the villain is, but this won't limit the audiences enjoyment. The story follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), a long serving social campaigner who works for Millennium magazine. After losing a libel case, Mikael is forced to take some time out and his hired by aged tycoon Henrik Vagner (Sven-Berti Taube) to look into the 40 year-old disappearance of his favourite niece. Computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) checks out Mikael as a preliminary to his hiring, and is intrigued by the old mystery. The two investigators team up and find themselves pursuing several serial killers. Lisbeth is currently on probation thanks to a back-story which ties in with the other novels and films, she has to cope with a sexually abusive social worker (which we see in truly horrific detail) and her own anger and rage.
The two different styles of the characters make for a very interesting mix. Mikael has very traditional methods of investigating, where as Lisbeth uses more modern methods which include breaking through any firewall. Lisbeth also has a photographic memory and is an excellent cryptologist. As the investigation continues, more secrets come out which include: ritual killings, incest rape and Nazi sympathisers. Be warned, this film isn't for the faint hearted.
By now, most people should know that Lisbeth Salander is the girl with the dragon tattoo and has become a major literacy heroine. She is played with great intensity by Noomi Rapace. Reports suggest Noomi took great pride in the role of Lisbeth. She trained for 7 weeks which included kick-boxing lessons, had her ears and nose pierced especially for the role and took her motorcycle test. Noomi looks set to have a great career after starring in Sherlock Holmes: The Game Of Shadows and is currently filming Ridley Scott's highly anticipated Sci-Fi film Prometheus. Lisbeth is a character with an interesting mix of screwed up victim and resourceful heroine, using objects like a golf club and a dildo to get the job done.
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a long movie, but its absorbs you in and keeps you there for the total running time. With two sequels already available, it's a blessing we don't have to wait to find out what happens next with Mikael and Lisbeth. A truly fantastic film.
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