Although not an avid movie-goer, I love to go see a movie based on a book I loved, and Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo – in fact the whole Millenium trilogy – is high on my list of favorites. Intrigue, action, suspense, mystery, murder, sex, revenge, and a kick-ass heroine, all set in Sweden . . . what more could a reader want?
But how would the movie live up to the book’s reputation? A Swedish version came out a couple years ago, which I’ve never seen but have heard lots of good things about. I did go see the recently released American version last night and it did not disappoint. I thought it was an excellent adaptation of the book, and Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara were perfect as Mikael Blomkvist and Lisbeth Salander. In fact, I fell in love with Lisbeth Salander all over again. Brilliant, weird, brutal social misfit with strong principles, and who doesn’t let anyone fuck with her – what a woman!
I’m not sure about the movie as it stands on its own; having read the book, I understood the complexity of the story that I think might be somewhat difficult for someone to follow had they not first read the book.
But seriously, if you read the book, go see this movie!