**** (MA15+)
Director: David Fincher.
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright.
I'VE voiced my disapproval in the past of too-soon American remakes of great foreign films... and I'm going to do it again.
While this re-do of the 2009 Swedish adaptation of the insanely popular Stieg Larsson book is not a total facsimile like Let The Right One In/Let Me In, it's still unnecessary and pointless and made for the sheer fact that American studios think audiences are too lazy/ignorant/stupid to watch subtitled films.
That's not saying Fincher's version of this engrossing murder-mystery is bad - it's not. It's actually quite good.
However, if you've seen and enjoyed Niels Arden Oplev's film, seeing this one is unnecessary. And making it was kind of pointless, especially when you consider that Fincher is one of the most talented directors working today. He is renowned for telling us exciting stories in new and innovative ways. For the people who paid over $100 million at the box office worldwide to see the Swedish version of this story, it is not new or terribly innovative.
Having said all that, regardless of its pointlessness, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a strong murder-mystery, thanks to Larsson assured story, which sees disgraced Swedish journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig) summoned by wealthy retired industrialist Henrik Vanger (Plummer) to investigate the disappearance of his niece Harriet 40 years earlier.
Blomkvist is soon paired with research assistant Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a sociopathic goth hacker and together they uncover a long-buried series of murders, rapes, tortures, sexual abuse and other assorted nastiness.
If you've never read the book or seen the Swedish film, you're in for an enthralling but dark ride, driven by Mara's rivetting turn as Salander and sturdy performances from everyone else.
Fincher's knack for brooding menace is ably assisted by the various ominous drones of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross' score, and the impressive opening sequence rivals Fincher's now-classic beginning of Seven for creativity.
But even with Fincher's great visual compositions and the chilling cinematography, and as good as the story is, this still feels like a lesser Fincher film - a weird melange of Zodiac and Seven that wouldn't make his top five. Still, lesser Fincher is more watchable than most directors' output.
For those who have seen the Swedish version, there aren't enough differences to excuse the retelling - the Blomkvist/Salander relationship is more complex, but the slightly altered ending drags on, having been dealt with more efficiently in the 2009 take.
As for the much-discussed comparisons between Noomi Rapace and Mara as Salander, well, we'll call it a draw.
This may all be confusing, but basically it boils down to this unnecessary version being solid thanks to the strong story, excellent direction and stunning performances - all the things that made the two-year-old Swedish original so great.
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