Dir: David Fincher
Starring: Daniel
Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer
Whenever an English language remake of an already good
foreign film is announced it is met with numerous cries of ‘Why?’ This version
of the popular novel of the same name was met with the same reception. Coming
only a couple of years after the original, a film which was almost universally
well received, it seemed like another pointless cash in for people who can’t be
bothered to read subtitles. However, this one comes with one of the greatest
living directors and an A list star and a script which has been formulated from
the book, not just the previous film. This isn’t a remake from a young new director;
it’s a new version of the book.
Recently
discredited magazine writer Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is asked by aging
businessman Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the disappearance
of his niece. Meanwhile, punk hacker Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) is hired to
investigate Blomkvist and seeks revenge against her new probation worker. Eventually
Blomkvist recruits Salander to help him in his investigations.
The
film is beautifully shot, with claustrophobic colours whether they are the
stark white landscape of the outside world or the dull yellows which take over
the inside locations. Fincher has created another great film to add to his
already brilliant oeuvre. The great cast all play strongly; with Daniel Craig
managing to get away from his well known Bond persona, most obviously in a
scene where he moans about a bullet graze on his head. Rooney Mara, here so
different from her preppy look in Fincher classic The Social Network, plays Salander well, looking vulnerable but
depicting the strong and damaged character that Lisbeth is. Trent Reznor and
Atticus Ross create another great score, even if it isn’t as good as The Social Network’s, and their version
of The Immigrant Song sung by Karen O
makes both the trailer and the opening credits brilliant.
Fincher
makes the right choice in keeping the film set in Sweden, moving it to American
would have been a huge mistake as the Swedish landscape lends a cold oppressive
atmosphere to the film. However, the cast put on Swedish accents while Craig
speaks with an American one. Though not a major problem and certainly not one
which will take you out of the film, it can be a little jarring at first. The
film is strong in its own right and is certainly as good as the original. Changes
to the last half hour also help it to stand on its own.
The
problem is not with the film. The problem is that it has come so quickly after
the original. Though the script was written from the book it still means that
the films hit the same major plot points. While still enjoying the Fincher
version, throughout I was always trying to think how the original did it.
A good
film in its own right and just as good as the original, I just would have
enjoyed it more had I seen it before the Swedish version.
4 out of 5 Buttons
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