Short review: I like the original better.
Long review: David Fincher’s take on the first of Stieg Larsson’s bestselling books is intense and gruesome, which pertains to both violence and sex; particularly violent sex. Yet Fincher’s film is also picturesque and even warm, despite the notoriously cold climate in which it is set. The relationship between shamed journalist Daniel Craig and troubled researcher Rooney Mara is definitely warmer than it was in the original Swedish film, which I think helps make this chilling drama more palatable for American audiences, but it doesn’t diminish its power. Anyone who has never seen the Swedish film should be impressed by this film.
Perhaps because I am a huge fan of Niels Arden Oplev’s Swedish film (which I award four stars; a bit less for its two sequels), I was not blown away by Fincher’s version. The first one (a 2010 U.S. release) is still very fresh in my mind, and so there were no surprises in this one for me. Fincher’s film does not build to the climax nearly as well as the Swedish original, and this film, perhaps to be more faithful to the book, lasts a bit longer into the story. I also wasn’t particularly moved by the reunion scene, which I think is not only underplayed, but understaged.
Yet Fincher’s film is much more complex, intelligent and engrossing than most other American movies. The source material, adapted by master screenwriter Steven Zaillian, is rich in character, drama, mystery, suspense, duplicity, horror and tragedy. Daniel Craig is able as the journalist, revealing a vulnerability that really works for the character. Rooney Mara is remarkable as Lisbeth Salander; she’s as good as Noomi Rapace was in the Swedish trilogy. Throw in Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Steven Berkoff and Joely Richardson and there are plenty of acting chops to go around. But this is Mara’s movie all the way.
The bottom line is that, had I not seen the Swedish original, I would probably award this film three-and-a-half stars. It’s probably that good, even with odd music at times and that crazy oil-based music video opening credit sequence. But I don’t think it’s as good as the original, and it didn’t surprise me at all, so I have settled on the lower, but still respectable, rating. ✰ ✰ ✰. 3 Jan. 2012.