Climbing Higher Pictures

For many, David Fincher‘s remake of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is their most anticipated film of the year. That’s why it’s not surprising that The New Yorker chose to publish their review early. Due to backlash from that review, and a strengthening of movie critic embargoes, I’m only now able to share my thoughts on the film. My hope is that you’ve long since abandoned reading this and instead directed your eyes downward.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo Review

By Ryan Hamelin

Movie Grade: A

I have never read The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Because of his, I feel like I have a unique perspective on where the audience will stand when the credits roll. Does the film make sense? Was I able to follow it despite a complete lack of knowledge of the source material? Will it blow you away? To all of the above, the answer is a resounding and unequivocal “Yes.” If this one’s managed to fly under your radar so far, make no mistake, David Fincher isn’t interested in slowing down, and should he fulfill his commitment to complete the trilogy, he’ll have a franchise under his belt to rival the greatest in film history. You may wonder how I can be so sure after only a single film. I have faith in Fincher, but more importantly, I have faith in the cast and crew and their continued commitment to the material. I for one can’t wait to see where the story goes next, and I’m considering not reading the second book until the second movie rolls around, based on how much fun it was to go in blind.

From the opening title sequence, a glorious mishmash of beautiful abstract imagery that rivals classic James Bond intros, to the closing frame, there’s never a moment when you’re not caught up in the experience. I didn’t check my watch once, nor could I pull my eyes away to look around me at the faces of the other reviewers, many of whom had read the source material. It’s a riveting piece of work, and instead of watching a movie, it felt like a window had been opened into another world. Even at over two and a half hours, I wanted more, and I will gladly line up again on opening night. Every year there’s one film that manages to meet and then truly exceed an already high bar of expectation for me, and this year, this is that film.

Rooney Mara is… well… wow. I can’t think of any actress this year who has been more committed to a part, and the fact that she hasn’t been getting more awards season buzz is a criminal oversight. She disappears into the role in a way none of the other rumored actresses ever could have, and I’d be surprised if fans don’t embrace her devotion. She carries a lot of the film on sheer force of will, and if it was entirely her story, it would be a powerful movie in and of itself. Then you have Daniel Craig, in probably his finest performance to date, and you start to see the big picture. His washed up newspaper reporter is looking for a distraction, and a long unsolved murder is exactly the ticket out of town he needs. His relationships with both Salander and Robin Wright as the co-editor of his magazine give the movie a human element that’s both unexpected and rewarding. You find yourself caring more about individual characters and their motivations, even beyond the boundaries of the case, and solving the mystery takes a back seat to observing the chaos. Throw in Christopher Plummer as the elder statesman of the family in search of the answer to his granddaughter’s murder, and there’s plenty of reasons to keep watching.

Fincher himself has been cagey about the movie’s award prospects, saying, with some traces of amusement, that the film just has “too much anal rape” for Academy voters. It’s certainly not a happy journey, but the impact is real and the discomfort that the audience feels only helps fuel their involvement in the power struggle taking place. Don’t let anybody frame your perceptions going in, just show up, pay for a ticket, and know that it’ll be well worth the money you spent. If having the director of Fight Club, Se7en, and The Social Network isn’t enough to make you feel like you’re in good hands, I don’t really know what to tell you. This is the real deal: high impact, high stakes storytelling that will bring you to the edge of your seat and hold you there. They don’t make ‘em like this anymore.