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Film: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Män som hatar kvinnor)
Year: 2009
Director: Niels Arden Oplev
Writer: Nikolaj Arcel and Rasmus Heisterberg
Starring: Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace and Ewa Fröling
Review:
In this film, we have two stories that run parallel to each other. The first follows a journalist, played by Michael Nyqvist. He is found guilty of slander against a shady businessman and is sentenced to prison. He has three months before he goes to serve his sentence and elects to not appeal.
The other is following a young, computer hacker, played by Noomi Rapace. She works for a security company and does research for them. The job she comes into report is over Nyqvist who she has been following, taking pictures of and hacking into his computer to get all the information she can. She was committed by the state and has a guardianship or someone who looks over her affairs, but her guardian has a stroke. She is then given another who isn’t as lax and one with a perversion.
An older man on his birthday receives a framed flower and later we learn that he receives one on his birthday from someone. He also has been searching for his niece, who has been missing for 40 years. He has hired Rapace to research Nyqvist to see if he can help him.
After meeting with him, he offers that he will never have to work again if he takes on the job. He agrees and begins to research into this rich and powerful group, to find that there are layers of lies, corruption, murder and cover-ups. Can Nyqvist and Rapace find the truth of what happened to the girl and uncover the secrets of the family.
This film is excellent. The story is amazing, the pacing is set where and how they uncover clues keeps you interested. As the story goes on it becomes darker, gritty and the acts there were committed are heinous. This just adds to the film and has you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out the truth. This is also why it is being added to the horror film research. What happens to Rapace in her life is horrible and continues to be this way the more we learn.
The acting is very well done from all the stars, especially Rapace and Nyqvist, who play both leads very well. Rapace had some very tough scenes to do and I believe what she did in them was believable as well as commendable.
If you want to see a dark, thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then this film is for you. It has great acting, a great story and not a dull moment. The researching never gets boring, what Rapace goes through will have you cringe. You definitely won’t be disappointed as this film twists and turns.
My Rating: 8 out of 10