The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009) Review

"Everyone has secrets."
-Lisbeth Salander



Just a head's up before I get into this movie, this is the Swedish version, not the one with Daniel Craig.  Also, I watched the extended version on Netflix, not the theatrical cut.

After losing a libel case and facing three months in prison, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is forced to step away from his duties as publisher of Millennium magazine.  He is approached by Henrik Vanger (Sven-Bertil Taube), a wealthy old man who hires him to investigate the disappearance and possible murder of his niece, Harriet (Julia Sporre), who babysat Mikael when he was little.  But, Harriet disappeared 40-years earlier and no amount of investigation by Henrik or the police led to anything.  He ends up teaming up with Lisbeth Salander (Noomie Rapace), a hacker and surveillance agent who had spied on Mikael previously, to help solve the case.  But what they discover is more violent and horrific than they could have possibly imagined and there are some people who don't want the truth found and will kill to keep it hidden.


What Works:

First off, Noomie Rapace is f***ing brilliant as Lisbeth.  To say anything less would be an injustice.  Lisbeth is an incredible character with a tragic, insane, yet badass past.  She has dealt with some of the worst of humanity and she really adds a lot to this story.  She has repeatedly been victimized, but finds a way to rise above it and fight back.  She's an incredible character who I'm dying to know more about and is my favorite part of the film.

Michael Nyqvist is no slouch as our protagonist either.  At his core, he's a good guy trying to do the right thing and he won't stop until he finds the truth.  He is a great foil to Lisbeth and some of their interactions are surprisingly hilarious.  The first half of the movie is really good, but when Lisbeth and Mikael finally meet up, sparks fly.  They have amazing chemistry and every scene they have together is incredible.  

I also love that this film does not hold back on the horror and the violence.  There are some brutal scenes that are really tough to watch, but you can't look away.  This is a horrific story and they don't shy away from that.  It's actually refreshing in a sick kind of way.


What Sucks:

The 3rd act doesn't perfectly stick the landing in my humble opinion.  It just didn't gel the way the rest of the film did.  Its hard to say why exactly, but I think it's because Mikael and Lisbeth are separated with the exception of one scene in the 3rd act.  I got use to seeing them together and I loved it so much, that when they were separated I was just wishing they were together again.  It's a minor thing, but hey, if I can't nitpick here, where can I?


Verdict:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a brutal and horrifying film that grabs you and doesn't let go.  Noomie Rapace and Michael Nyqvist are amazing and have some incredible chemistry to guide us through this darkness, and this movie has absolutely got it going on.

 9/10: Great 

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