The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Director: David Fincher
Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (based on the novel by Stieg Larsson; remake of the 2009 Swedish film of the same name)
Cast: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara 
Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Time: 158 minutes
Bottom-line: Typical Fincher... a magnificent crime drama

With this film, I successfully cross off the last of David Fincher films in the list. Having seen all his nine major feature films, I must say that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the creepiest of them all. Starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara in the lead, with Christopher Plummer and Stellan Skarsgård alongside, this film proves to be an epitome of all of Fincher’s trademarks.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth 

“She’s... different.”
“In what way?”
“In every way”
That’s the introduction to Lisbeth Salander (Mara), a brilliant computer hacker with a traumatised and troubled life. She does extensive research on journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Craig), who has just lost his life savings after losing a libel case brought against him by businessman Wennerström. Lisbeth gives the data to business magnate Henrik Vanger (Plummer), who hires Mikael and offers a job: to investigate the disappearance and possible murder of Henrik’s grandniece Harriet, 40 years ago, in return for information that can bring down Wennerström. Mikael accepts the job, and in the course of his investigation, asks for an assistant. Lisbeth agrees to partner with him. How this case changes the lives of Mikael and Lisbeth is what the film explores.

Daniel Craig as Mikael 

The main focus of the film, I felt, was not the Harriet mystery, but, as the title says, the girl Lisbeth. Throughout the film we see what a troubled life she leads – being sexually abused in order to receive her allowance, being considered mentally incompetent for murdering her father, being arrested for narcotics...and the list goes on. But that does not compromise her unmatched technical skills as a hacker. She has a strong hatred towards men who abuse women (made obvious from her first line to Mikael “If you touch me I'll more than alarm you.”) Her complicated relation with Mikael, starting as an assistant and then becoming intimate is pictured well. Fincher could not have chosen a better person to play this character than Rooney Mara. This is truly a committed performance – to change your appearance, voice and behaviour so much in order to perfectly portray this antisocial yet caring, pitiful yet ruthless girl. Daniel Craig’s acting was top-notch. At a time when he had firmly established his role as 007, this film proves that Craig does not need action or crime lords to being out the best in him. This portrayal of the cool-headed investigator, (not to forget his occasional humour) is amazing.

Just like every other Fincher film, the technical aspects are flawless. The locales, cinematography and the background score (including a spine-chilling piece by Reznor and Ross for the opening credits) are perfect. The Fincher aspects – like the dark settings, introverted characters, creepy score, and just enough visual effects and gore to enhance the film are all right up there, and of course, with such a dark theme, the way the characters have been developed is immaculate. This is one story where you are debating over which character seems to be screwed up the most – is it Lisbeth? Or is it the Vanger family members? After all, one of Hendrik’s lines to Mikael is, “You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies. The most detestable collection of people you will ever meet. My family.” It’s for a reason that one of the taglines of the film is “The feel bad movie of Christmas.”

The poster of the 2009
Swedish film

But nevertheless, if you are a fan of Fincher, or you are one of those who wants a movie that deals with such complex characters, especially their dark side, there is no better movie in recent times than The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. 

My Rating: 4/5
Rotten Tomatoes rating: 86%