Which would be fine, except the only compelling character is Mara's, and she's not interesting enough to carry 150-odd minutes. I don't care about the book, I care about how it is as a film. And as a film, it doesn't work. If the exact same cut of the film were released with the name of anybody but David Fincher credited, a number of these As would be much lower.



Yes, it does. How were you not bored out of your mind during Obvious Bad Guy's "we're not so different, you and I," torture room speech?

Not boring at all. Very tense and perfectly acted by Craig and Skarsgard, even if the scene is a bit cliched.

A bit? And tense in what way? If you've never seen a movie before? This is a scene where the bad guy could kill the lead but instead stops to reveal his entire motivation. Part of me wonders if Fincher made the film as a joke.

And hey, let's talk plot holes. Like the fact the baddie could've had Craig kicked off the island at any moment, but chose not to so that, you know, the movie could happen. But at least he killed the Red Shirt Cat as a warning.

It's just an awesome scene. I knew 100 percent where it was going, of course, but it plays so damn well. The half hilarious, half creepy use of the Enya song. The great shot of the gas coming out of the ceiling and then the glass shattering. Skarsgard plays it just right; no froth, but rather the suggestion of a total perverted creep who has become very good at hiding his true nature, at playing the role of a reasonable, affluent, boring businessman. Very creepy. And Fincher has this genius way of conveying physical torment by not overplaying his directorial hand. When Craig gets hoisted up, the editing doesn't get hyperactive. You just see it in frame, and it's...ouch. Similar to the clear-eyed, chilling way he filmed the lakeside murder in Zodiac.

In The Silence of the Limbs, it's fairly obvious Clarice will either arrest/shoot Buffalo Bill, but the scene in the basement is still super suspenseful. Same situation here.

As for the "plot hole"--I don't know. Murdering/disappearing a famous journalist people know is on the estate would raise a lot of eyebrows. It would put Martin in a tight spot. So he lets it play out for a while, concentrating on trying to create a feeling of discouraging anxiety for Blomkvist--murdering the cat, shooting at him intending to just miss. He's only spurred into lethal action when he realizes he's been discovered and is out of other options.

Hehe. Jeez, Darkshape, you express your opinion as fact a little too much sometimes I found other characters interesting and I thought it didn't feel especially long. While it isn't even Fincher's best serial killer movie I still found it immensely interesting/enjoyable thanks to the performances (largely Mara's, yes), the cinematography, the score, and pretty much everything else I've to expect from his movies. So far only Benjamin Button has left me feeling somewhat indifferent to the point I haven't yet purchased the DVD--which makes it the only Fincher movie I don't own. That's not too bad a record. I wonder what the future Millennium movies will be like, though, as I cannot imagine Fincher directing the others as well.

One thing I absolutely did not care for was the fact that everyone was speaking English. I mean, I appreciate there wasn't some lame explanation as to why and it seemed like a "yeah, they shouldn't be speaking English but we're spending like a hundred million dollars on this so it's in English" situation...but still.



Wouldn't Christopher Plummer's character have had a problem with Craig's character being dismissed when he wanted him there? And even once he was out of the picture I imagine Skarsgard's character suddenly switching tempos and kicking the investigator off the island would be odd.

Anyway, you've pretty solidly established your feelings on the movie so I don't think addressing every issue is necessary--even if I do think you're being a bit nitpicky

This.

Oh, I read "killed off" instead of "kicked off." But Malcolm shot down the plot-hole suggestion nicely--obviously Plummer's character, the patriarch and most powerful family figure, would be furious Mikael was fired and sent away.

I'm sorry. Is my being against the grain on this film ruffling feathers? That's generally what's happening when we get to "you should say 'in your opinion'!" posts.

In my opinion the film has the twists and turns of a mid-90s Silence if the Lambs rip-off.
In my opinion the 150 minutes of screentime with one interesting character dragged.
In my opinion the bad guy, who follows every surprise bad guy reveal cliché, was obvious.
In my opinion scenes where the bad guy can kill the hero, but instead weaves into a five-to-ten minute monologue explaining why he does what he does, are not good scenes. Especially in films that are played as deadly serious.

But in terms of honest discussion, do you know what the differences are between this and the Clarice/Buffalo Bill scene, David? (And this really is an 'in my opinion,' and I don't mean that in a snarky way.) Clarice is the underdog. She's the rookie. She's out of her element. Moreover, Buffalo Bill has been established as a really, really fucked up individual. When Clarice goes into that house, she has no idea Buffalo Bill is in there.

Mikhael, on the other hand, knows Martin is the killer when he goes into that house. Which makes him a little bit stupid. (I can forgive that on Martin's explanation about being polite outweighing the importance of self-preservation; I liked that line.) But Martin's a serial killer who, well, we didn't even really know was an active serial killer. Buffalo Bill's very much on the hunt. Martin has one line about a present victim, and that's about it. He's not threatening. He's not scary. And it never feels like Mikhael's going to die because Martin just wants to chat it out for half an hour. I don't recall Bill doing that.



Yeah. And? Martin runs the company. Plummer can't do anything about it. It's not like anybody's going to think Martin is a serial killer because nobody even knows there is one until the very end of the flick, and that's by Martin's own admission.

Haven't seen the film, nor will I do so for a while. However, your posts come off as arrogant. Might want to simmer it down once in a while.

A bit? And tense in what way? If you've never seen a movie before?

Is the bolded part really necessary? Your opinion =/= fact

It's a genuine question. How can you find tension in a scene that you've seen dozens of times before which always ends at the same outcome. The only explanation jumping to my mind being that you haven't seen enough films to have seen said clichéd moment.

So please consider the exaggeration slightly muted to "if you've never seen a thriller before?"

I'm just stating that there are ways of articulating your opinion without talking down to others, which you sometimes do in your posts. That is all.

But Martin is still a person in an established family with an established dynamic. To so strongly go against the Plummer character's wishes would seem out of character for him, and he obviously wouldn't want to appear at all out of character in relation to the Harriett case, since he has a lot to lose. So he's forced to play along, and since he's forced to play along, it behooves him to go a step further and project a friendly and supportive demeanor.

And I honestly can't defend the torture-chamber confrontation beyond how I already have: I found it disturbing and suspenseful. I thought it played well. Even the obvious Goldfinger vibe--"But, wait, before the laser, my plans and motives..."--is completely overcome by the quality of the acting and Fincher's directorial choices (cutting away throughout to Lisbeth returning and realizing there is trouble afoot counteracted any potential monotony and gave the passage of the film a propulsive energy).

It's not a very original scene. But. It's a very entertaining scene. In my view, this is possible. Good acting, direction, etc. can do wonders.

Sorry you hated the movie, lol.

But he has such an obvious 'get out of jail free' card to avoid suspicion. The fact Mikhael is digging up the Harriett case is too hurtful for him. There you go. Pisses Plummer off, but not in a way that arouses too much suspicion.



See, I'm the opposite. Cutting to Lisbeth was the equivalent of bashing me in the head with the fact she was going to show up and save him.

If you're criticizing this movie for plot holes and narrative shortcomings, you're missing the point.

Except, it wouldn't be the same cut because Fincher is an incredible director, something that is apparent in every shot of the film. And I can guarantee you that a lot of the film's praise has to do with his directing.

Martin wanted to know what happened to his sister as much as anyone. He demanded Blomkvist tell him what happened to her when she was brought up, and was annoyed at the accusation that he killed her... a scene that was brought up by Blomkvist about 5 minutes later. I fully believe the cat murder and Martin shooting Blomkvist was meant to spur him into investigating more vigilantly, which it did.


If you're not scared of an "average joe" after he confesses to killing women for 40 odd years, that's your problem, not an issue with the film.

It's a cliché because it's effective and generally works. I don't see anyone here claiming originality for it, and I don't really have the time or the will to search your posts to see if you berate any film with a clichéd scene. Given your affinity for horror films, I'll assume that you don't, so I really don't get how you can question how some find tension here.

I don't buy this.

The character in this instance was a serial killer who got immense gratification from the act of talking to his victims. I think it makes complete and utter sense that he would draw it out, savor it, if you will.

I'd love to see that movie!!

Seems like the jizzing is back on. Sanity only last so long.

Oh, I see, I typed an "i" instead of an "a." Oh, Herr Doctor...

Go back to Egypt.

I still haven't seen this but I don't expect much because, as talented as he is, David Fincher never makes two good films in a row. He's obviously a firm believer in the one for them, one for me philosophy.

As a preface, I haven't read the novels or seen the Swedish films. That said, David Fincher's version is an atmospheric, enjoyable success that never quite reaches a stratosphere of greatness. I'm not sure if it's the source material or what, but this movie ends up feeling kind of bloated and overlong, and perhaps not as provocative as I'd been to led to believe it would be. Fincher establishes a consistently tense and icy mood throughout, although I think he really set a high bar last year with The Social Network and it's hard to compete with that. Despite all that and perhaps the overly high expectations on my part, this is still a quite solid film overall. The film's biggest asset is Rooney Mara, who bravely throws herself into the role and makes by far the largest impact of anyone/anything in the film. It's a rather marvelous performance that always works even at moments when the film itself is becoming a little plodding. Daniel Craig is solid and likable in his role, although he is consistently overshadowed by his co-star (which makes sense, so that's not really his fault). The supporting cast, including Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard, Joely Richardson and Robin Wright, is also more than adequate (although I feel like the casting of Skarsgard in a film like this should instantly set off alarms). The opening credits were also extremely cool and did a great job setting the film's mood (perhaps second only to Se7en in Fincher's filmography), as others have pointed out. B+

WOAH LIBS WOAH easy on the hyperbolic praise, okay?

lol

I'm not going to praise them. They're good actors who did competent jobs, but this film doesn't really permit especially noteworthy acting from anyone other than Mara.

I thought Plummer was fantastic. He completely sold his character's pain, without much screen time.

And this is one of Daniel Craig's best performances, up there with Layer Cake and Casino Royale. It's not full of smash-the-plate Oscar-clip moments, but it has this very sturdy, magnetic quality. It feels lived-in, down to the small details--the way he smokes a cigarette, the way he wears his glasses.