Remakes are only as good as the re-interpretation of the source material. Given Stieg Larsson’s ‘Millennium’ trilogy has becoming a publishing power-house – spawning the successful Swedish film trilogy – any remake was going to be closely watched. Director David Fincher knew this and opted to re-examine the original book than simply copying the film. Almost stamping his own take without discarding the primal essence of Larsson’s work, Fincher tried to ensure fans won’t be disappointed as he unravels its intricate mysteries.
Writing for the investigative magazine ‘Millennium’, Mikael (Daniel Craig) reels from a nasty libel case. Salvation arrives when he is asked to assist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), the head of a powerful family. Tasked with solving the mysterious disappearance of his treasured niece forty years previously, the list of suspects appears endless. Helping is young punk Lisbeth (Rooney Mara), a troubled but brilliant computer hacker. Reaching into the dark past with skill, they discover a serial killer lurks amongst the upper echelons of Swiss society.
David Fincher has always enjoyed going into the dark recesses of the human psyche. ‘Dragon Tattoo’ offers a lot for him to explore with themes of abuse of power and the privilege of wealth bought into stark focus. Conveyed through two main characters of varying intensity, these issues are wrapped around a fascinating ‘who-dunnit’. It’s difficult to go too wrong with Larrson’s novel and the Swedish scenery photographed with a stark bleakness mirroring the foreboding atmosphere.
The tension between American and Swedish story-telling causes some issues. On the one hand the matter of fact brutality so inherent in the original is commendably articulated. On the other is the irritating habit of most Western films to over-explain things that are best left kept vague. Clearly seen in its overlong finale the high-lighting of the ‘romantic element’ between the lead characters is another annoying ‘Hollywood-ism’ diluting their impact.
Having a great titles sequence, a fine cast and a generally arresting story, it’s a pity ‘Dragon Tattoo’ goes off the rails towards the end. It’s still a generally strong movie however adding another wrinkle to an already successful publishing phenomenon.
Movie Review Rating out of 10: 7
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore's Movie Review is an alternative look at current movie releases in Australia.
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