The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)

Although this Swedish version of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was followed by two sequels and an English language film a couple of years ago directed by David Fincher, it is very much the best of the four films.It is a very loyal adaptation of the book (generally one of the most faithful book-to-film adaptations around), which is a fantastic read and has become of my favourite books recently, adhering closely to many of the book's events and such and also perfectly maintaining the bleak and murky atmosphere the book effortlessly creates. However, 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' works even better on its own terms. The central relationship between Mikail and Lisbeth is ever so slightly rushed, however it still resonates while wisely not taking over the story too much (doing a much better job in this aspect than Fincher's.Fincher's version may be more audacious visually, though this film is a long way from a hack job, and the script here does occasionally lack polish and flow. However, the atmosphere is much more effective here and there is generally more tension and chills, and personally prefer the performances here too (though Rooney Mara in Fincher's film is certainly no slouch).Enough with the comparisons. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2009) does look great, the bleakness of the setting adds so well to the atmosphere and it's tightly edited and very nicely shot. The haunting and doom-laden score fills one with dread and creates a lot of rich tension. Neil Arden Oplev's directing is masterful, building on the tension and suspense to frightening heights while also directing with a lot of class.'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's' story is incredibly gripping, there is a lot of subplots and characterisation and the film remarkably makes everything intriguing, layered and complete. The long running time allows this to happen admittedly, but with a good deal going on and with deliberate pacing the film easily could have rushed through things or neglected aspects but very rarely does those things. The subplots are superbly chilling with constant and effortless delivery of shock after shock. The bleak and murky atmosphere is present throughout, as is the dark and at times brutal (but not gratuitously so) tone, with plenty of twists and turns that shock and surprise better than a lot of thrillers from the US.All the acting is very good indeed, but it's the two leads that really impress. Michael Nyqvist makes his vulnerable and flawed character a fascinating character that could have been less complex in lesser hands, but the film does belong to Noomi Rapace, whose seamlessly enigmatic performance is positively screen-burning.Overall, a great film and one of not many book-to-film adaptations that treats its source material with respect. Swedish thrillers don't get much better than this. 9/10 Bethany Cox

"Män som hatar kvinnor" ("Men Who Hate Women") is an adaptation of Stieg Larsson's bestselling novel of the same name, which was posthumously published in 2005. Better known to the English-speaking public as "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", it is the first entry in the Millennium trilogy.This Swedish production, which is set in Sweden, introduces heroine Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) to movie audiences. A young female hacker with a troubled past, she aids disgraced journalist Mikael Blomqvist (Michael Nyqvist) in his investigation into a forty year old missing persons case. The circumstances surrounding the disappearance are mysterious and the facts seem to point to a member of the girl's extensive family as the culprit.The title "Men Who Hate Women" is borne out in relation to the central mystery and also in Lisbeth's dealings with her legal guardian. The violence may be a bit much for some to take but it doesn't overshadow the well-constructed detective story that propels the movie's plot.The acting is unquestionably highlighted by Noomi Rapace's performance, which was justifiably nominated for a BAFTA award. She excelled in the demanding role of Lisbeth Salander, working well in tandem with male lead Michael Nyqvist. The supporting cast is uniformly convincing but largely unexceptional.In terms of production values, this fairly modest film can't really be expected to compete with the big budget American version. Nevertheless, it still manages to hold its own. Director Niels Arden Oplev may not have the visual flair of David Fincher but his work here is quite satisfactory on its own terms. Similarly, the music may not be as distinctive as the American version's but it gets the job done.Ultimately, I found that this adaptation of the novel seems to have the upper hand in terms of both casting and storytelling. Either way, both versions are well worth watching for any fan of mysteries or thrillers, not to mention for the stellar performances of their respective leading ladies.

I regret watching this film. Not because it is of low quality but because its message is nothing but "you should return evil with evil" and there are some scenes in the film that were so violent that I could hardly watch.OK. I must say that the film is well-directed, well-paced, thrilling, it is a high quality suspense film if you are talking about it in terms of movie making. People can be glued to the screen because of the film made them feel excited.Well, but if you are a person who believes in love and hope and the power of love and forgiveness, you shouldn't watch this film. Because there is little of that. The whole thing, beside investigation and mystery, is about revenge and how you should return violence with violence. It depicts evil and the fruits of evil and no real or true message about how you should deal with evil in this world beside violence. The film implicitly tell us that it's OK to kill, it's OK to beat and torture someone, if that person is already evil. It's OK to kill your father if your father abuses you. It is OK to stand and watch someone die although you can help, because that person is evil. These kinds of things are understandable but they are wrong messages to be sent into this world already full with too much evil and violence.The main character of the film is presented as a woman hero, someone who is very strong, very smart, with a dark and hurtful past. I don't know what's the big deal about the tattoo dragon on her back either. It looks scary to me.

Contrary to most, I have to say that I expected much more from this movie. Having read the book(s), which I believe all to be masterpieces of their genre (especially this one, the first one of the series) I was really looking forward to seeing this film. Alas, I was somewhat disappointed... Not that this was a bad, poorly made film, because it isn't. It is however, nowhere near in bringing to the viewer the plot, the atmosphere and the emotions of the book (which is often the case with the filming of great books). Having said that, I must also say that the filmmakers eventually 'found their way' when making the second and third installments of the series, which where much, much better than this first movie in the trilogy.Now I am looking forward to seeing the Hollywood version of this book, hoping for the best...