Review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) by Zanele J — 11 Jan 2013

A disgraced Journalist Mikael Blomvist, portrayed by Daniel Craig, is recruited to solve an unsolved mystery by Hendrik (Christopher Plummer), Hendrik has attempted to get the matter investigated in the past, but he could never solve the mystery. The matter is quiet tricky for Blompvist and he hires an assistant who can help with his limitations, The investigation is plagued by deep family feud, a long time has also lapsed since the incident investigated began, Hendrik's health has deteriorated, but together after some hard work, dodging a few bullets, and near death experience. The mystery is solved.

Blompvisk's assistant is played by Lisbeth (Rooney Mara), a troubled girl you would not want for an enemy, Rooney plays the character of Lisbeth is a hauntingly fabulous manner, she is a girl, but she is self assured, not scared of challenges always thinking in a binary fashion, 0 or 1, no shades of grey, she does not care if she lives, her life is grim. Mara was in Fincher's The Social Network, but these two characters are not in any way similar, not by a long shot, in The Social Network she is wholesome and in this movie, she is fractured.

This movie is Rooney's as a titular character, and her character comes full circle, she starts out as isolated and end up with a friend or boyfriend, she proudly professes the good news to her incapacitated guardian that she has a friend, one you will approve of, heartbreaking.

It's a pleasure watching Lisbeth, and solving this mystery older than the average member of the audience.

There is nothing Hoolywoodian in this movie, the characters looks Swedish, even the cars, architecture, this movie takes us in an unfamiliar world, and we bask in this beauty.

The actors are fine under the direction of Mr. Dark Eye. Plummer as always is never disappointing,.

Craig sheds all traces of Bond in him and gives us a frail character we can warm up to, he is transformed into Blompvisk, Skarsgaard threw us off and has a surprise ending, one does not see coming.

Gripping and dense story.

Highly recommended.