Revenge is Swede

As the world mourns the end of the Harry Potter film franchise, the start of a new movie franchise based on a popular series of books begins. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is the first installment of the Millennium trilogy by Steig Larsson. While these films will never meet the financial success of the Potter films, if for no other reason than its decidely adult subject matter, it can already boast something that none of the Potter films can, a Best Picture nomination.

The film is directed by David Fincher (The Social Network) who continues his impressive string of films. After delving into the cerebral world of Mark Zuckerberg, Fincher is back to familiar territory of gore and murder. He once again finds away of depicting the darker side of our human nature in a compelling manner. He manages to suck you in by focusing on protagonists who are just as, if not more so, scarred than the killers they are tracking. In this case, the film centers around two such protagonists; Mikael Blomkvist (played by Daniel Craig) and Lisbeth Salander (played by Rooney Mara).

Blomkvist is a discredited journalist who's been asked to investigate a 40 year old mystery involving the disappearance of Henrik Vanger's niece. The job offers him an easy way to escape the media scrutiny he's under after being convicted of libel. Salander eventually comes on as his research assistant. However, we spend significant time prior to their partnership learning of the hardships she's endured in her life that have manifested into her severe social disfunctions. Their relationship is unconventional to say the least but proves to be highly effective in getting to the bottom of this mystery.

This central mystery is the strongest part of the film. Through the course of Blomkvist's investigation we meet several members of the Vanger family, each with their own set of secrets. The fact that these family members hardly talk to each other provides makes them all suspicious and enables the audience to continue guessing as to what really happened. While the film does the best it can at keeping all of these characters straight and properly explaining their history, you can also see where this would likely be even more engaging in the book.

The one thing, however, that bugged me about the film was how oddly superfluous the Lisbeth character seems to the story. A good portion of the film's beginning is spent on her before she even becomes connected with the Vanger case. While it can be argued that this was done to establish her character, a lot of that could have been surmised simply by her outward appearance. It's clear from the piercings and titular tattoo that this is not a conventional girl and she's likely led a rough life. Why we needed to see, in such graphic detail I might add, some of these hardships was unclear. Furthermore, while she proves to be quite helpful in solving the mystery, it's likely that Blomkvist would have been able to solve it himself had she not been there. None of this would bother me as much if it wasn't for the fact that everything else suggests she is supposed to be the central character. Perhaps her centrality to the story is stronger within the context of Larsson's three books, but in this film her presence came off more exploitative that necessary.

While I struggle with that, I in no means want this to come off as a negative review. The acting and directing are great and the story is engrossing. Despite a run time of over two and half hours, the film does not "dragon". It briskly moves along as you try to figure out the clues along with the characters. I also like how they managed to keep the film isolated enough where you're satisfied if the other two books never get adapted, but left enough to make you curious to see where future films could go if they do get made. Though this is not my favorite Fincher film, nor his best, this is still an excellent movie and one I recommend. He's one of the few directors out there today who can consistently create a movie that will be tattooed into your mind long after you've finished watching it. Grade: B+

Fall Movie Preview (December)

CARNAGE (December 16)
Plot: Set in contemporary Brooklyn, New York, "Carnage" centers on two pairs of parents one of whose child has hurt the other at a public park, who meet to discuss the matter in a civilized manner. However, as the evening goes on, the parents become increasingly childish, resulting in the evening devolving into chaos.

Quick thoughts: The story may be simplistic, but that's because of it being adapted from the stage. What it lacks it setting, is more than made up for in the acting talent. With four supremely talented actors working off of each other in a very dark comedic story, I'll be very interested to see if director Roman Polanski can successfully turn this into an engaging film.


SHERLOCK HOLMES: A GAME OF SHADOWS (December 16)
Plot: When the Crown Prince of Austria is found dead, the evidence, as construed by Inspector Lestrade (Eddie Marsan), points to suicide. But Sherlock Holmes deduces that the prince has been the victim of murder, a murder that is only one piece of a larger and much more portentous puzzle, designed by Professor Moriarty. The cunning Moriarty is always one step ahead of Holmes as he spins a web of death and destruction, all part of a greater plan that, if he succeeds, will change the course of history.

Quick thoughts: I absolutely loved the first venture into this franchise by Downey and co. so I am immediately on board for a second go-round. The fact that this one will feature Holmes' greatest nemesis, Professor Moriarty, only sweeteneds the deals. Let's just hope than unlike some of this year's sequels, this one is able to still feel fresh on its own.


THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (December 21)
Plot: "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" is the first film in Columbia Pictures' three-picture adaptation of Stieg Larsson's literary blockbuster "The Millennium Trilogy." Directed by David Fincher and starring Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara, the film is based on the first novel in the trilogy, which altogether have sold 50 million copies in 46 countries and become a worldwide phenomenon. The screenplay is by Steven Zaillian.

Quick thoughts: I'll be honest - I haven't read these books and I really don't know too much about what the plot involves. Having said that, the fact that it stars Daniel Craig and is being directed by David Fincher, who has made some of my favorite films in the past five years is enough of an incentive for me to at least give this (anticipated) trilogy a look.


MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL (December 21)
Plot: The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

Quick thoughts: Unlike so many people, I really enjoyed the third entry in this franchise. And while J.J. Abrams isn't directing this one, he's still worked on it and left the director's chair in good hands with Brad Bird (who directed The Incredibles). In amongst all of the films vying for an Oscar, this will serve as a nice entertainment diversion come the Christmas season.


WE BOUGHT A ZOO (December 23)
Plot: "We Bought a Zoo," a memoir by Benjamin Mee, tells the true account of how the author and his family used their life savings to buy a dilapidated zoo, replete with 200 exotic animals facing destruction, in the English countryside. Mee, along with his children, had to balance caring for his wife, who was dying of brain cancer, with dealing with escaped tigers, raising endangered animals, working with an eclectic skeleton crew and readying the zoo for a reopening.

Quick thoughts: In the past, I've never really been a big fan of director Cameron Crowe's work, but they've been undeniably successful, especially come awards season. This one intrigues me mainly because of a solid cast (Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson) and a story that is true and hasn't been done a thousand times before. I have a feeling this will be infinitely better than The Zookeeper.


OTHER POSSIBLE FILMS OF INTEREST:
The Sitter (December 9)
Young Adult (December 9)
The Iron Lady (December 16)
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (December 23)