Post by coolbyrne on Dec 29, 2011 12:24:47 GMT -5
I'm going to write this out under the assumption that anyone reading it knows the story; if not, spoilers abound!!
I just saw it the other night. Fantastic movie. I've re-read earlier posts in this thread and saw my concern about Daniel Craig not being able to play a regular, everyday kind of guy, but I was wrong. Ithought Daniel Craig played Mikael quite well- Fincher toned down the sexual nature of the character and presented him as just an average, decent hero. (Not that being sexually active means you can't be decent, but those who have read the books know what I mean about Mikael.) While his name is first in the credits, he never played the role like he was the star. Kudos to him for making me forget he is a Big Name Star.
What everyone wanted to know, of course, is how Rooney Mara would do in the very key role of Lisbeth Salander. While I still love Noomi Rapace's version more, RM's take wasn't bad, just different. And I was glad to see that- she didn't try to be a NR copy; she really tried (and I think succeeded) in making the role her own. Loved the chemistry between her and Craig, and as in the book, they made the most unusual duo.
Some are complaining about the length (2hrs 40min), but 1. The Swedish version was the same length, and 2. I didn't mind the length as there is a LOT going on in the book, and in order to stay fairly close to the book, it needed to be long. The best compliment I can give the film is that it really did feel like a book- there were parts that I wanted to "skim" through, but I knew if I just stuck with it, there would be a great pay-off. And if that doesn't describe the first book to a "T" (100 pages before anything happens!!), I don't know what does.
I have also seen complaints about the graphic nature of the rape of Lisbeth and her subsequent revenge, and I wonder if these people have read the books. These events are so crucial to the development of Lisbeth and how the audience accepts her and her actions. And, of course, it becomes a key point in the later books/films. The theme is violence against women, whether it is the women Martin and his father killed, or the treatment of Harriet as a child, or the treatment of Lisbeth through her entire life. Hell, the original title of the book is, "Men Who Hate Women"! This is ultimately what makes the relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael so important; she has so few men in her life that she can trust (her first state guardian, her boss), and I think Mikael is the only man she has had a physical relationship with on her own terms.
Didn't mind the accents or the fact that they spoke English when everything else around them was in Swedish; we see English-made movies set in other countries that do that all the time. The only point that made me laugh every time was when I saw all of Mikael's notes in English... but all the magazine/newspaper headlines were in Swedish.
Not a very satisfying ending for those who wanted something really self-contained, but it is in line with how the first book ended, and really, did Lisbeth think things would be happily-ever-after? I've heard Fincher will now film both 2 & 3 back-to-back; I'm assuming they're just waiting for Craig to finish filming Skyfall.
Just one question for those who have seen it, because there were parts where I couldn't quite hear what they were saying- near the end, when Lisbeth goes after Martin, she turns to Mikael (who is on the floor) and says either "I may have to kill him" or "May I kill him?" Does anyone know which one it was?
The length of this movie will prevent it from topping the box office (they can only squeeze in one showing a night, where Mission Impossible can squeeze in two showings), but I think it should be seen by as many people as possible. Highly recommended.
I just saw it the other night. Fantastic movie. I've re-read earlier posts in this thread and saw my concern about Daniel Craig not being able to play a regular, everyday kind of guy, but I was wrong. Ithought Daniel Craig played Mikael quite well- Fincher toned down the sexual nature of the character and presented him as just an average, decent hero. (Not that being sexually active means you can't be decent, but those who have read the books know what I mean about Mikael.) While his name is first in the credits, he never played the role like he was the star. Kudos to him for making me forget he is a Big Name Star.
What everyone wanted to know, of course, is how Rooney Mara would do in the very key role of Lisbeth Salander. While I still love Noomi Rapace's version more, RM's take wasn't bad, just different. And I was glad to see that- she didn't try to be a NR copy; she really tried (and I think succeeded) in making the role her own. Loved the chemistry between her and Craig, and as in the book, they made the most unusual duo.
Some are complaining about the length (2hrs 40min), but 1. The Swedish version was the same length, and 2. I didn't mind the length as there is a LOT going on in the book, and in order to stay fairly close to the book, it needed to be long. The best compliment I can give the film is that it really did feel like a book- there were parts that I wanted to "skim" through, but I knew if I just stuck with it, there would be a great pay-off. And if that doesn't describe the first book to a "T" (100 pages before anything happens!!), I don't know what does.
I have also seen complaints about the graphic nature of the rape of Lisbeth and her subsequent revenge, and I wonder if these people have read the books. These events are so crucial to the development of Lisbeth and how the audience accepts her and her actions. And, of course, it becomes a key point in the later books/films. The theme is violence against women, whether it is the women Martin and his father killed, or the treatment of Harriet as a child, or the treatment of Lisbeth through her entire life. Hell, the original title of the book is, "Men Who Hate Women"! This is ultimately what makes the relationship between Lisbeth and Mikael so important; she has so few men in her life that she can trust (her first state guardian, her boss), and I think Mikael is the only man she has had a physical relationship with on her own terms.
Didn't mind the accents or the fact that they spoke English when everything else around them was in Swedish; we see English-made movies set in other countries that do that all the time. The only point that made me laugh every time was when I saw all of Mikael's notes in English... but all the magazine/newspaper headlines were in Swedish.
Not a very satisfying ending for those who wanted something really self-contained, but it is in line with how the first book ended, and really, did Lisbeth think things would be happily-ever-after? I've heard Fincher will now film both 2 & 3 back-to-back; I'm assuming they're just waiting for Craig to finish filming Skyfall.
Just one question for those who have seen it, because there were parts where I couldn't quite hear what they were saying- near the end, when Lisbeth goes after Martin, she turns to Mikael (who is on the floor) and says either "I may have to kill him" or "May I kill him?" Does anyone know which one it was?
The length of this movie will prevent it from topping the box office (they can only squeeze in one showing a night, where Mission Impossible can squeeze in two showings), but I think it should be seen by as many people as possible. Highly recommended.
