Based on the bestselling novel, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo stars Daniel Craig as a journalist attempting to find a long missing girl. After employing the help of a skilled computer hacker, played by Rooney Mara, the pair find themselves in danger, a sign the perpetrator is still close by. The much hyped and feared scenes establishing Mara’s character, Lisbeth, come off as gruesome and realistic as is acceptable in an R-rated film. Though in the midst of these vivid abuse scenes, the mystery of the missing girl from a family of former Nazis and creeps looms as a very intriguing case.
Running a bit long as to include as much of the source material as possible, the first half of the film drags in contrast to the riveting second half. Craig’s consistent performance is welcome because of the intensity Mara is forced to deal with. But she is of course the star of the film and the one whose performance is integral to the film’s success. Then there’s the post-production side of things where director David Fincher again reveals how he can even creep out an audience in a mere dialogue exchange. His new wing-man, Trent Reznor, who won an Oscar for his score from The Social Network, is possibly even better in this film. There is rarely a score more memorable.
Even with all the hype surrounding The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, its release in an oversaturated two weeks for the movie industry could cause it to suffer a bit. Though I think the graphic sexual abuse scenes will probably keep more people away. While The Social Network was too white collar for some and Fight Club too creepy for others, Fincher has blended his constant Oscar potential with his eye for recreating the undesirable dark side of human interaction. The help of great story doesn’t hurt the process either. (9.0 out of 10)
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