Director David Fincher (The Social Network, Seven) and screenwriter Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York) have put together a very good adaptation that manages to match the storytelling quality of their Swedish predecessors. With only the films to go on I cannot criticize their treatment of Stieg Larsson’s novel, but by all accounts they have captured that element that has made the novels so popular around the world.
Daniel Craig is a nice fit for the role of Mikael Blomkvist. Originally I was skeptical considering the performance that Michael Nyqvist gave in the Swedish original. James Bond was not the first man who came to mind for the English-language adaptation, but with his glasses hanging under his chin from one ear, Craig fits as a nice balance to Rooney Mara’s Lisbeth Salander. No one should expect Noomi Rapace’s original to be overshadowed, but Mara does a terrific job making the part her own and becomes the troubled bedrock of the film. Fincher filled the supporting roles with all the best people: Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgård, Donald Sumpter, and Robin Wright hold the cast together without a weak link among them.
In terms of editing, cinematography, and most other elements, the two versions of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo are a wash. Both tell the same terrific mystery and hit the same harsh notes. The place where Fincher’s film steps above is with its music. Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have given Fincher another brilliant score after their Oscar-winning work on The Social Network. The internet phenomenon that was the teaser trailer for this film was scored with the Immigrant Song covered by Karen O, and it is that song that plays in full during the title sequence. Much like Fincher’s Se7en, the title sequence of this film is a harsh barrage of character imagery; computer cables, crushed flowers, oil, blood, and Lisbeth herself making a surreal vision that can only be described as the James Bond titles from Hell. It is a two-and-a-half minute unrelenting sequence that assures there will be fewer walk-outs when the story hits those uncomfortable parts.
Although I love The Social Network and appreciated the Curious Case of Benjamin Button, it is exciting to see Fincher back in another dark crime story.
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