Majikat The first of the trilogy introduces our controversial characters that leads to an interesting case.Very well acted, hooked from the beginning, hard hitting and satisfying!If you only watch a few sub-titled movies in your lifetime, make one of them this one!

TheLittleSongbird Although this Swedish version of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' was followed by two sequels and an English language film a couple of years ago directed by David Fincher, it is very much the best of the four films.It is a very loyal adaptation of the book (generally one of the most faithful book-to-film adaptations around), which is a fantastic read and has become of my favourite books recently, adhering closely to many of the book's events and such and also perfectly maintaining the bleak and murky atmosphere the book effortlessly creates. However, 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' works even better on its own terms. The central relationship between Mikail and Lisbeth is ever so slightly rushed, however it still resonates while wisely not taking over the story too much (doing a much better job in this aspect than Fincher's.Fincher's version may be more audacious visually, though this film is a long way from a hack job, and the script here does occasionally lack polish and flow. However, the atmosphere is much more effective here and there is generally more tension and chills, and personally prefer the performances here too (though Rooney Mara in Fincher's film is certainly no slouch).Enough with the comparisons. 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' (2009) does look great, the bleakness of the setting adds so well to the atmosphere and it's tightly edited and very nicely shot. The haunting and doom-laden score fills one with dread and creates a lot of rich tension. Neil Arden Oplev's directing is masterful, building on the tension and suspense to frightening heights while also directing with a lot of class.'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo's' story is incredibly gripping, there is a lot of subplots and characterisation and the film remarkably makes everything intriguing, layered and complete. The long running time allows this to happen admittedly, but with a good deal going on and with deliberate pacing the film easily could have rushed through things or neglected aspects but very rarely does those things. The subplots are superbly chilling with constant and effortless delivery of shock after shock. The bleak and murky atmosphere is present throughout, as is the dark and at times brutal (but not gratuitously so) tone, with plenty of twists and turns that shock and surprise better than a lot of thrillers from the US.All the acting is very good indeed, but it's the two leads that really impress. Michael Nyqvist makes his vulnerable and flawed character a fascinating character that could have been less complex in lesser hands, but the film does belong to Noomi Rapace, whose seamlessly enigmatic performance is positively screen-burning.Overall, a great film and one of not many book-to-film adaptations that treats its source material with respect. Swedish thrillers don't get much better than this. 9/10 Bethany Cox

classicsoncall I had heard of this film of course but didn't realize there were two of them. Now that I know, and after reading other reviewers who've compared the two, I'll look forward to the American version.This was a rather engaging thriller that took the expected number of twists and turns on the way to a resolution. I found it hard to warm up to the character of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), but by the time she got around to dealing with her thug guardian Bjurman (Peter Andersson) she won me over. The backdrop of the Swedish National Socialists and the Nazi connection to the Vanger family provided an interesting plot element, as American films don't generally delve into that sort of territory, so that made for a fresh and different perspective.You have to pay attention though. There are a lot of names and relationships thrown at the viewer and it's a little difficult to follow. Having learned this long ago, I generally take notes and keep them handy while watching. This film in particular, and especially with the unfamiliar sounding foreign names, could be an unexpected challenge for many viewers. However the extra effort should prove rewarding.As the story closed I couldn't help drawing a comparison to a couple of well regarded American films. The picture closes with Lisbeth having a Kyser Soze moment transforming into a completely different persona, right after having performed a Shawshank Redemption style raid on the Wennerstrom bank account. It was a triumphant ending for a character who endured all manner of degradation while involved with the Vanger case.

buiger Contrary to most, I have to say that I expected much more from this movie. Having read the book(s), which I believe all to be masterpieces of their genre (especially this one, the first one of the series) I was really looking forward to seeing this film. Alas, I was somewhat disappointed... Not that this was a bad, poorly made film, because it isn't. It is however, nowhere near in bringing to the viewer the plot, the atmosphere and the emotions of the book (which is often the case with the filming of great books). Having said that, I must also say that the filmmakers eventually 'found their way' when making the second and third installments of the series, which where much, much better than this first movie in the trilogy.Now I am looking forward to seeing the Hollywood version of this book, hoping for the best...