At the Theater- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)-- Director David Fincher (Se7en, Panic Room, Zodiac) and an outstanding cast have accomplished something of an extreme rarity- a remake that's far superior to the original in nearly every facet. It looks like this Mystery/Thriller will end the year tied with the Ryan Gosling Drama/Thriller Drive for my favorite film of 2011.
Although I'm a huge fan of the 2009 Swedish original, this Americanized update is far more layered, nuanced and full of texture than it's predecessor. Fincher and Scripter Steve Zaillian have added quite a few humanistic "little" touches and small doses of humor that have considerably enhanced the experience while Daniel Craig (Casino Royale) and Rooney Mara (The Social Network) are perfect as the investigative reporter and the titular goth hacker, respectively- their performances here add further depth and dimension to already strong characters. It's not something I'm willing to argue, but I believe Mara has ever-so-slightly surpassed Noomi Rapace's (the original "Girl") portrayal here. Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard (Good Will Hunting), Robin Wright (so glad she finally dumped Penn's sorry ass) and Joely Richardson (Nip/Tuck) round out a stellar cast of those faces you may be familiar with.
The cinematography is unbelievably gorgeous- it's an absolute triumph of expert, on-location shooting. Trent Reznor's original score is a little weird here and there, but it's fitting. Be forewarned- there are a few scenes of a graphic sexual nature and one helluva gruesome ending to a house pet. There's an opening credits montage featuring a cover of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" (from Trent Reznor and Karen O) that blows all of the James Bond film openings away- simply stated, it's awesome.
Only one minor quibble; an extended epilogue drags on a bit- that said, this film ultimately concludes much better than the original. Highly Recommended.
9.5 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment