The film centers on Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a journalist who loses his credibility and life savings after being found guily of libel. Utterly lost, Mikael is approached by wealthy industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) with an unusual opportunity: Vanger wants to know the fate of his niece who disappeared over 40 years earlier and believes that Mikael can solve the mystery. On the other side of the story is Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), an anti-social goth who does investigations for a security firm and is a ward of the state who suffers at the hand of her sadistic legal guardian (Yorick van Wageningen). The stories merge when Mikael hires Lisbeth as his assistant and launches his investigation, discovering that the Vanger family houses some dark and terrifying secrets.
Fincher has never shied from the more uncomfortable or challenging elements of a story, be it the ritualistic murders city in "Seven", the nihilistic brawlers in"Fight Club", or the true life violence in "Zodiac", and it serves him perfectly in his execution of"The girl with the Dragon Tattoo". The tone is unabashedly twisted and grim, but the content is never gratuitous or alienating. Every scene of brutality, there are many, serves to either inform the audience about the characters or advance the plot. Even Jeff Cronenweth's cinematography have a hushed, grim tone; the exterior shots showcase Sweden's beautiful snowy landscapes, while interiors are gray and ominously lit, reflecting the dark secrets hidden by the Vanger's wealth.
Fincher reunites with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, who wrote the Academy award winning score for "The Social Network." The film opens with a stunning title sequence set to Reznor and Karen O's cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” that will jar some movie-goers. Reznor and Ross employ an industrial sound with a minimalist approach that blends perfectly with Fincher’s style. Hopefully this director/composer team continue to work together.
Aided by her limited exposure prior to this film, Rooney Mara is able o disappear into Lisbeth. Dressed all in black, her hair cut short and dead eyes, Mara captures the subtleties of Lisbeth – from her intense gaze to her physical tension when around strangers – and her violent and more emotional moments, such as when she takes revenge against her guardian. There was some concern that the actress wouldn’t be able to hold her own against Rapace’s interpretation. Mara does equal and sometimes exceeds her.
Unlike Mara, Daniel Craig doesn’t have the benefit of being a new face, and is, instead, identified almost universally as James Bond. But like his female co-star, Craig is successful in masking himself as Mikael in both the character’s strength and extreme weakness. As the movie isn’t an ensemble piece, most actors outside of the two leads don’t have much time in the limelight, but there isn’t a single miscast performer in the group. Van Wageningen is excellent to a disturbing level, while Plummer plays the tortured Henrik Vanger with aplomb. Even supporting players like Stellan Skarsgard and Joely Richardson are captivating in small but crucial roles.
Though some story details do fall through the cracks, Steve Zaillian’s script and Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall’s editing keeps the 158 minute film working at an impressive pace. The story does meander a little in the last 15 minutes but that is due to the nature of adaptation. "The Girl with the Dragon Tatto" may not be David Fincher’s best work but it is well worth seeing.
