Obviously, the eight-minute preview for David Fincher's The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is not online and probably won't be at least until after the weekend (update, it just went up on 12/02/11). I do not know if it will be playing in theaters before theatrical prints of Straw Dogs or whether it was just something to get the film critics/pundits excited. The footage is basically a primer for those completely unfamiliar with the franchise. We meet the main characters, we see Christopher Plummer lay out the primary mystery, and we get a look at our heroes in action, both when on the case and on their own time. First and foremost, let me just say that the footage looks absolutely breathtaking. While the pallette of choice is dark (think grey skies), there is a haunting and epic feel to the film that arguably surpasses its TV-movie of the week subject matter. But, it's also the kind of specifically shot and grey-hued film that can look bloody awful when projected incorrectly. So unless I end up attending a press screening, I'm definitely forking out Arclight money for this one.
Having said that, the footage highlighted what I'd argue was a key problem with the original film. Namely, it's not a very exciting or gripping story and it's only the entertainment value provided by Lisbeth Salander that gives the film any juice. Rooney Mara certainly looks and acts the part, and I could easily see her scoring an Oscar nomination if the film breaks out. Her Salander comes off less like a standard 'tough chick' than a mentally scarred and fragile figure who happens to also be a computer genius who is able to defend herself when necessary. But, other than her intriguing look and the somewhat unique nature of her character (plus hopefully strength of her Mara's performance), the film is still a relatively cut-and-dry mystery picture. It looks absolutely beautiful, but I cannot help but think that having David Fincher remake this picture is a bit like asking Thomas Keller to cook a hot dog. Obviously, if you're a fan of the original series, feel free to disagree and know that you'll be in heaven come December 21st.
Scott Mendelson
I'm curious as to what you thought of the score by Reznor because I've heard great things from other sites.
ReplyDeleteI liked the score just fine, but I want to wait to see how it sounds in the movie. It will certainly be a very high-selling CD/download for a pure score that isn't Danny Elfman or John Williams.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear. All signs and gut instincts have been pointing to this being a far superior work than the Swedish version. Due to some casting, I also think it is going to follow closer to the source material than its predecessor, which is a big plus!
ReplyDeleteI'm curious as to why you think the subject matter isn't above TV-movie material. The content and themes in the books, which I'm sure will get explored extensively in this movie as much as in the Swedish movie, are certainly not run-of-the-mill stuff. If you haven't read the books, do so and you will discover too-hard-core-for-TV subject matter getting tackled head-on in a way that's never been done before. The writing itself is debatable as to how great it is (not that that matters for the movie), but the content is definitely a breath of fresh air, and breathtaking to say to the least.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. It looks great, but it's just not working for me. The book was dry too, and there is no catharsis at the end. All that violence has no point other than itself. David Fincher can not help it. Mara looks great too, but again, there's really no point to her character other then her weirdness.
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