The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2009)
"Män som hatar kvinnor" (original title)

A journalist is aided in his search for a woman who has been missing -- or dead -- for forty years by a young female hacker.

Director:

Niels Arden Oplev

Writers:

Nikolaj Arcel (screenplay), Rasmus Heisterberg (screenplay),

Stars:

Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre

Won 1 BAFTA Film Award. Another 12 wins & 22 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Nyqvist	...	Mikael Blomkvist
Noomi Rapace	...	Lisbeth Salander
Lena Endre	...	Erika Berger
Sven-Bertil Taube	...	Henrik Vanger
Peter Haber	...	Martin Vanger
Peter Andersson	...	Nils Bjurman
Marika Lagercrantz	...	Cecilia Vanger
Ingvar Hirdwall	...	Dirch Frode
Björn Granath	...	Gustav Morell
Ewa Fröling	...	Harriet Vanger
Michalis Koutsogiannakis	...	Dragan Armanskij
Annika Hallin	...	Annika Giannini
Sofia Ledarp	...	Malin Eriksson
Tomas Köhler	...	'Plague'
David Dencik	...	Janne Dahlman

Storyline

Forty years ago, Harriet Vanger disappeared from a family gathering on the island owned and inhabited by the powerful Vanger clan. Her body was never found, yet her uncle is convinced it was murder and that the killer is a member of his own tightly knit but dysfunctional family. He employs disgraced financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the tattooed, ruthless computer hacker Lisbeth Salander to investigate. When the pair link Harriet's disappearance to a number of grotesque murders from almost forty years ago, they begin to unravel a dark and appalling family history. But the Vangers are a secretive clan, and Blomkvist and Salander are about to find out just how far they are prepared to go to protect themselves.

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Plot Keywords:

journalist | island | murder | hacker | computer | 

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Genres:

Crime | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for disturbing violent content including rape, grisly images, sexual material, nudity and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [Australia]

Country:

Sweden Denmark Germany Norway

Language:

Swedish English

Release Date:

27 February 2009 (Sweden)

Also Known As:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Filming Locations:

Tabernas, Almería, Andalucía, Spain

Box Office

Budget:

$13,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$335,502 (USA) (19 March 2010)

Gross:

$10,095,170 (USA) (18 February 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Yellow Bird Films, ZDF Enterprises, Sveriges Television (SVT)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

152 min 180 min (extended) 186 min (Extended Version) (Part 1 & 2)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Noomi Rapace got her motorcycle license as a preparation for the movie.

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Goofs

When Lisbeth Salander is sending her encrypted mail to Plague, the screen shows "decrypting" instead of "encrypting".

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Quotes

Dirch Frode: What can you tell me about Blomkvist?
Lisbeth Salander: Everything is in the report.
Dirch Frode: The short version.
Lisbeth Salander: Blomkvist got the name Kalle Blomkvist when he solved a bank robbery in the 80s. He's a very public person with no major secrets. Read the newspaper articles.
Dirch Frode: But does he have any secrets?
Lisbeth Salander: Everyone has secrets.

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Connections

Referenced in Richard Roeper & the Movies: Halftime Report: The Best and Worst of 2010 (2010)

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Soundtracks

"Ljus I Varje Hjärta"
Text and Music by Misen Larsen (as Misen Groth)

User Reviews

A Worthy & Different Crime Mystery When Compared To American Films Of The Genre

An intrigue fueled slow building thriller, "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is a refreshingly different take on the "whodunit" crime genre. This Swedish movie has loads of great cinematography, taking advantage of the beautiful Swedish country side as well as framing the eerie story. The principal characterizations are quite well suited by the cast who fit naturally in the roles they play with great realism. Like I have already noted this is a much different presentation as compared with American filmed crime thrillers. Even though this obviously has a well-funded budget it is grittier and less commercialized thus lending a realism over glossiness. The music score also adds quite a bit of ominous darkness.

I guess if you want to be overly critical you could punch a hole or two here or there, but I think this story comes off so most all viewers will ignore any inconsistencies in favor of the mysterious pieces which, eventually, add up, but not too fast – keeping the viewer invested and hoping to figure out how it may all end.

Though graphic at times, it isn't "porn-horror", "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is a dark story where the unsettling pieces fit. I am fairly certain it will not be released in the US, but if you can see it do so as it is a well crafted and executed drama.