Review of The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018) by Marcelo A — 09 Nov 2018

Three actresses have played Lisbeth Salander in five films in the Millenium saga. Noomi Rapace appeared in the first three films. Then came Rooney Mara and now Claire Foy. Each brought a bias to the mercenary hacker who leaves Sweden doing little Republican work and saving women from the yoke of violence and male horror.

Claire Foy brought a combination of her loaded British accent with a somber side that combined too much with the gloomy mood and the Swedish cold showcased in "The Girl in the Spider Web," Lisbeth Salander's new plot spilled into the movies.

This story, however, is not the Swedish author Stieg Larsson, creator of the series and who died in 2004 of a heart attack after only three books released. The story of the spider web is by David Lagercrantz, a Swedish author and journalist who was hired by the publisher Norstedts to continue the saga left by Larsson, who had plans to release ten books.

The difference, however, in the narrative is very clear already in the approach compared to the previous film, "The girl with the dragon tattoo" (2011). If this was a story of suspense and mystery that gradually developed the curiosity of the viewer until the end of history, there is a classic story of reckoning with the past and family drama, associated with a clothing that involves politics, corruption, mercenaries and a criminal organization. All with a posture as if Lisbeth Salander was a dark version of a James Bond or Jason Bourne. And this does not necessarily need to be seen on a 100% positive or 100% negative aspect.

Claire Foy is a case in point. In the movie, she finally gets rid of all the imposing and liturgy imposed by the two seasons living the queen Elizabeth in "The Crown" to interpret this Lisbeth without physical barriers, of the body and the soul. It is curious to see this transformation of who has been the face of the queen until 2017 and now amends two works in the cinema so different and interesting. The role of Janet Armstrong in "The First Man" (2018) and now by Lisbeth.

"The Girl in the Spider Web" is a good movie. Nothing remarkable, somewhat predictable but a good movie to accompany. Although this evaluation is impaired by the lack of basis to analyze comparatively to the literary work. It is impossible for me to analyze whether he is faithful to the work. But only as a movie is it interesting to follow.

Perhaps the big problem with this film is the somewhat erased presence of journalist Mikael Blomqvist (Sverrir Gudnason). Gudnason's Blomqvist does not have the same strength as Daniel Craig's in the previous film. And neither the same protagonism. In "The Girl in the Spider Web", Blomqvist is still in crisis, but it's just one more move in Lisbeth's personal chess. Which she uses when necessary. Although it is clear that the two share a past of issues unresolved.

Some of the merits of the film fit the Uruguayan director Fede Alvarez. He knew how to capture the mood of the saga very well. A Nordic dark style, many dark tones, icy faces - and the villain Camila, lived by Sylvia Hoeks, is an exponent of this - and the economy of the movements contrasting with scenes of claustrophobic struggle. The looks also say a lot of what you want to get through.

These are qualities that have kept the series going. Maybe "The Girl in the Spider Web" is no better than "The girl with the dragon tattoo", but I would like to see Claire Foy again playing the character. Lisbeth deserves this great actress.