Review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) by Olly — 02 Jan 2012

I am quite frankly gobsmacked at the reviews this film has received. This film was my joint favourite of the year, tying with drive. Me and my girlfriend have read the books within the past year, and sat down to watch the extended version of the Swedish film the night before. To both of us, the difference was like night and day. The pacing in the Swedish version was plodding, and Lisbeth felt far too friendly (as did Henrik Vanger). And despite it being an extended version, so much great stuff from the books was omitted.

David Fincher did exactly what I wanted; he upped the pace to the point where lines nearly overlap, cramming in tons of content in a shorter space of time. Not only that, Lisbeth was almost perfect, feeling as spiky, cold and unapproachable as she should do (although I personally would give her an internal monologue if I directed the film). Gladly the film followed suit and reflected her personality, meaning that as opposed to the Swedish film, she felt more like the main character she should be.

My only complaint would be of choosing Daniel Craig as Blomkvist. I personally felt he was quite fatherly and warm, until he was obsessed in his work. Daniel felt a little cold throughout, and exuded a little more confidence than I would've expected. That said, seeing him as Bond does not help my case.

Anyway, thoroughly enjoyed it; the music, cinematography, pacing, acting and plotline were exactly what I was looking for. Better than the Swedish film if you're looking for a more spiky, frightening, fast-paced take on TGWTDT.