“HITCHCOCK WITH NUDITY”
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Peter Haber, Peter Andersson and Ingvar Hirdwall
Directed by: Niels Arden Oplev
MPAA Rating: Unrated but contains nudity, sex, drugs, graphic violence and language
Genres: Art/Foreign, Drama, Thriller and Adaptation, In Scandinavian with English subtitles
Release Date: April 2010
By John Delia
Although I like the story and acting in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I also feel that it is extremely violent and sadistic. The latter I feel destroys some of the entertainment value of the movie. That said, the mystery and suspense are captured very nicely with great camera work and masterful direction.
Martin Vanager (Peter Haber) a multi-millionare hires on Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) to search for his estranged daugher Harriet who went missing 40 year earlier. After a time of searching for clues he finds Lisbeth Salander (Rapace), a hacker, has been searching through his computer. When she comes up with some clues that he has missed he hires her to help in the search. The two start uncovering evidence of several murders that have occurred that seem to be tied into the disappearance of the heiress. When they get too close to the fire, both Blomkvist and Salandar find themselves scrambling for their own lives.
I liked the acting in the film by Nygvist and Repace, think Liam Neeson and Angelina Jolie if it had been an American production. The two work well together and exhibit a good measure of chemistry making their characters believable. I have to admit however, that Repace should get an extra measure of regard for her ability to perform in the scenes where she has to deal with her sadistic lawyer (Peter Andersson).
Director Niels Arden Oplev keeps the suspense turned up high much like Alfred
Hitchcock did in Marnie and The 39 Steps. Although somewhat predictable at times, Oplev turns the tables to keep you in the dark only to prove you were right. This is not a distraction however and the storyline does play out well. If I were to chose an ending however, I don’t think it would have come up with the same one he did.
The movie is from a book by Stieg Larsson who also wrote the crime dramas, “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.”
The film is unrated and contains nudity, sex, rape, drugs, graphic violence and language. The sex is rough and realistic and borders on NC-17.
FINAL ANALYSIS:Â A film for those who like their storyline graphically depicted. (4 of 5 Palm Trees)