Jason KingGirl With The Dragon Tattoo (6/10)
March 24th 2010 06:32
:
Stieg Larsson's Masterpiece Comes to the Big Screen
Category: No Category
Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (6/10)
This is one of the biggest novels to come out since The DaVinci Code and is a far superior story. It has sold over 21000000 copies worldwide and is published in more languages I can think of. It is the first of a trilogy set of novels known as The Millenium Trilogy by now uber famous novelist, Stieg Larsson. The sad story is that Larsson handed over the manuscripts to his Swedish publisher for his three books and then died suddenly in 2004. He has never known the fame he has received. Being a Swedish story the Swedish have made the first film last year and made it in a hurry, no doubt to get in before the Americans can race out and make a remake
The sad thing for me is that I would love to see this remade by the Americans as my viewing of this only hilighted how much the Swedish have hacked the story to pieces to obtain their finished film. I would really like this film remade by a Spielberg, or the Coppola family or the guys who made Silence of the Lambs. There is serioulsy only one quarter of the story left for this fim. Do not get me wrong. For the first time in my recent viewing history I actually believe that the film stands alone quite well even after being hacked to bits.
Forty years ago, Harriet Vagner disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vagner clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle, and leading member of the family is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs recently disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed emo-goth hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.
When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vagners are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are bout to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.
I LOVED this book so much so that on one day off I sat down and read the last 400 pages straight and did not move until I finished it. I have been known to savage certain films due to their inability to transfer well from book to film. In fact I actually get personally effected by a crap book transfer, take Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, for example. What they did with this movie from the book is in my mind one of the worst things to ever happen on film. For The Girl with the Dragon Tattooo I think that the film will do exceptionally well after the transfer if you have not read the book. I have spoken to people who have seen the first film first and then read the second and third books afterwards and the film was enough to get them hooked. Same thing happened to me and the first Potter film. But for a book enthusiast, especially one who has a passion for this trilogy, this film may come as a shocking surprise for you as so much is missing OR ALTERED. In some aspects they have changed the story so that certain characters do some things that different characters did in the book. And, it actually works. The scenes they do keep from the book are done brilliantly and exactly as I could imagine when reading.
Text in BLUE ITALICS may contain spoilers!!!!!
Some differences in the story from book to film:
* Martin departs a different way
* Blomkvist has NO relationship with Erika Berger OR Cecilia Vagner
* Vagner Corporation has no involvement with Millenium at all
* There is NO biography of the Vagner family - Blomkvist is hired solely to find a murderer
* Vagner Coporation pretty much knows nothing in regards to Hans-Erik Wennerstrom nor is this part of the deal to get Blomkvist involved
* You never meet Blomkvist's wife and kids nor does his daughter suggest the religion link, Salander does
* Salander is pretty much only ever known as a hacker, not a researcher for a large security firm
* Blomkvist never wanders into town nor visit any cafe
* There are many many more but this is a taste of how different it is
To me the biggest letdown of this film was the eerie creepyness of the family and town - there is limited interactivity with the family save for one scene when the entire family comes together to try and get Blomkvist to leave. The film, all of its two and a half hours moves at a cracking pace, this is the succes of the film, but also another of its letdowns for me. Blomkvist makes discoveries way too easily and quickly and then it becomes more of a road movie with him and Salander chasing leads. He works out the photo within nearly half an hour of the film starting. I would like to have seen the film concentrate on the disturbing hatred of family members but the director, famous Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev, had full creative control over this film and wanted to focus the film on one of its Swedish Book Titles, "Men Who Hate Women" - this is the alternate name for "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". The film centres a lot more on Lisbeth Salander and links this film with the second book/ film. There are things not mentioned in this book that appear, and I have no doubt it is linking to improve on the second film, also apparently in post production at the moment.
The film is the highest grossing Swedish film in history and its success will no doubt increase astronomically due to the international interest in this story. It stars some of Sweden's most famous acting talent. Michael Nyqvist stars as Mikael Blomkvist and while he is not anything like who I pictured while reading the book he grew on me from minute one and I truly believe now he was the perfect Blomkvist. More so Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander, she is exactly what I pictured from the book and deserves some awards for her performance, her rape scene is brilliant and her revenge scene icing on a cake. What Noomi did for this role is very impressive. She took boxing classes to change her body shape, cut all her hair off, got 5 facial piercings, a motorbike licence, the works. She became Lisbeth and it shows remarkably.
The film is dark and brutal and has a tone similar to Silence of the Lambs. The score and cinematography are brilliant and I will definatley be buying this one on Blu Ray when released. The film is also going to be made into two 90min episodes for a TV audience and I am hoping this version will include more of what I wanted. The film is releasing on March 25th in Australia on a limited run at mainly art house cinemas, which is a huge surprise - due to the popularity of this book series I would have thought a mass release would have been ideal. If you haven't seen or read the book I recommend you do. Personally, if you are a reader, I suggest the book over the film, but if you want to skip reading the first one then go and watch this film but then read the others. Worth (6/10)
This is one of the biggest novels to come out since The DaVinci Code and is a far superior story. It has sold over 21000000 copies worldwide and is published in more languages I can think of. It is the first of a trilogy set of novels known as The Millenium Trilogy by now uber famous novelist, Stieg Larsson. The sad story is that Larsson handed over the manuscripts to his Swedish publisher for his three books and then died suddenly in 2004. He has never known the fame he has received. Being a Swedish story the Swedish have made the first film last year and made it in a hurry, no doubt to get in before the Americans can race out and make a remake
The sad thing for me is that I would love to see this remade by the Americans as my viewing of this only hilighted how much the Swedish have hacked the story to pieces to obtain their finished film. I would really like this film remade by a Spielberg, or the Coppola family or the guys who made Silence of the Lambs. There is serioulsy only one quarter of the story left for this fim. Do not get me wrong. For the first time in my recent viewing history I actually believe that the film stands alone quite well even after being hacked to bits.
Forty years ago, Harriet Vagner disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vagner clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle, and leading member of the family is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs recently disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed emo-goth hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate.
When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vagners are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are bout to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.
I LOVED this book so much so that on one day off I sat down and read the last 400 pages straight and did not move until I finished it. I have been known to savage certain films due to their inability to transfer well from book to film. In fact I actually get personally effected by a crap book transfer, take Harry Potter and The Half Blood Prince, for example. What they did with this movie from the book is in my mind one of the worst things to ever happen on film. For The Girl with the Dragon Tattooo I think that the film will do exceptionally well after the transfer if you have not read the book. I have spoken to people who have seen the first film first and then read the second and third books afterwards and the film was enough to get them hooked. Same thing happened to me and the first Potter film. But for a book enthusiast, especially one who has a passion for this trilogy, this film may come as a shocking surprise for you as so much is missing OR ALTERED. In some aspects they have changed the story so that certain characters do some things that different characters did in the book. And, it actually works. The scenes they do keep from the book are done brilliantly and exactly as I could imagine when reading.
Text in BLUE ITALICS may contain spoilers!!!!!
Some differences in the story from book to film:
* Martin departs a different way
* Blomkvist has NO relationship with Erika Berger OR Cecilia Vagner
* Vagner Corporation has no involvement with Millenium at all
* There is NO biography of the Vagner family - Blomkvist is hired solely to find a murderer
* Vagner Coporation pretty much knows nothing in regards to Hans-Erik Wennerstrom nor is this part of the deal to get Blomkvist involved
* You never meet Blomkvist's wife and kids nor does his daughter suggest the religion link, Salander does
* Salander is pretty much only ever known as a hacker, not a researcher for a large security firm
* Blomkvist never wanders into town nor visit any cafe
* There are many many more but this is a taste of how different it is
To me the biggest letdown of this film was the eerie creepyness of the family and town - there is limited interactivity with the family save for one scene when the entire family comes together to try and get Blomkvist to leave. The film, all of its two and a half hours moves at a cracking pace, this is the succes of the film, but also another of its letdowns for me. Blomkvist makes discoveries way too easily and quickly and then it becomes more of a road movie with him and Salander chasing leads. He works out the photo within nearly half an hour of the film starting. I would like to have seen the film concentrate on the disturbing hatred of family members but the director, famous Swedish director Niels Arden Oplev, had full creative control over this film and wanted to focus the film on one of its Swedish Book Titles, "Men Who Hate Women" - this is the alternate name for "Girl with the Dragon Tattoo". The film centres a lot more on Lisbeth Salander and links this film with the second book/ film. There are things not mentioned in this book that appear, and I have no doubt it is linking to improve on the second film, also apparently in post production at the moment.
The film is the highest grossing Swedish film in history and its success will no doubt increase astronomically due to the international interest in this story. It stars some of Sweden's most famous acting talent. Michael Nyqvist stars as Mikael Blomkvist and while he is not anything like who I pictured while reading the book he grew on me from minute one and I truly believe now he was the perfect Blomkvist. More so Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander, she is exactly what I pictured from the book and deserves some awards for her performance, her rape scene is brilliant and her revenge scene icing on a cake. What Noomi did for this role is very impressive. She took boxing classes to change her body shape, cut all her hair off, got 5 facial piercings, a motorbike licence, the works. She became Lisbeth and it shows remarkably.
The film is dark and brutal and has a tone similar to Silence of the Lambs. The score and cinematography are brilliant and I will definatley be buying this one on Blu Ray when released. The film is also going to be made into two 90min episodes for a TV audience and I am hoping this version will include more of what I wanted. The film is releasing on March 25th in Australia on a limited run at mainly art house cinemas, which is a huge surprise - due to the popularity of this book series I would have thought a mass release would have been ideal. If you haven't seen or read the book I recommend you do. Personally, if you are a reader, I suggest the book over the film, but if you want to skip reading the first one then go and watch this film but then read the others. Worth (6/10)
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Comment by Rix
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness
Thanks for commenting big guy. Miss u
Comment by K @ the Lair
Comment by Anonymous
Comment by JohnDoe
Film & TV on DVD
Nice, honest review.
For me the things that were cut from the novel were inconsequential to the story. Especially the financial world politics. Having Mikael's family dynamic be involved would have taken so much time when the film already runs 2.5 hours. Plus it was a cliche that would have bored.
I also think they wisely inferred several things and didn't waste time with semantics. For example Mikael's affair is still clearly hinted at and IMO established without getting dogged down.
I didn't love the movie but liked it a lot...which kind of sums up the book too.
Comment by Jason King
Sydney Table
Salty Popcorn
Total Randomness