The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009) Flickan som lekte med elden (original title)

Popularity:

Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Daniel Alfredson

Writers:

Jonas Frykberg (screenplay)
Stieg Larsson (novel)

Release Date:

4 February 2010 (Germany)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Plot:

As computer hacker Lisbeth and journalist Mikael investigate a sex-trafficking ring, Lisbeth is accused of three murders, causing her to go on the run while Mikael works to clear her name.

Plot Keywords:

Journalist | Sweden | Murder | Sex Trafficking | Thesis

Awards:

1 win & 4 nominations

Cast

Michael Nyqvist	...	Mikael Blomkvist
Noomi Rapace	...	Lisbeth Salander
Lena Endre	...	Erika Berger
Peter Andersson	...	Nils Bjurman
Michalis Koutsogiannakis	...	Dragan Armanskij
Annika Hallin	...	Annika Giannini
Sofia Ledarp	...	Malin Erikson
Jacob Ericksson	...	Christer Malm
Reuben Sallmander	...	Enrico Giannini
Yasmine Garbi	...	Miriam Wu
Ralph Carlsson	...	Gunnar Björk
Georgi Staykov	...	Alexander Zalachenko
Hans Christian Thulin	...	Dag Svensson (as Hans-Christian Thulin)
Jennie Silfverhjelm	...	Mia Bergman
Per Oscarsson	...	Holger Palmgren
Sunil Munshi	...	Dr. Sivarnandan
Anders Ahlbom	...	Peter Teleborian (as Anders Ahlbom Rosendahl)
Micke Spreitz	...	Ronald Niedermann (as Mikael Spreitz)
Johan Kylén	...	Jan Bublanski
Tanja Lorentzon	...	Sonja Modig
Paolo Roberto	...	Himself
Magnus Krepper	...	Hans Faste
Niklas Hjulström	...	Richard Ekström
Tehilla Blad	...	Young Lisbeth (as Thehilla Blad)
Ola Wahlström	...	Per-Åke Sandström
Donald Högberg	...	Jerker Holmberg
David Druid	...	Tony Scala
Daniel Gustavsson	...	Niklas Eriksson
Pelle Bolander	...	Sonny Nieminen
Thomas Lindblad	...	Magge Lundin
Dennis Önder	...	Refik Alba
Richard Barry	...	McMillan
Olga Henrikson	...	Irina Hammujärvi
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Jörgen Berthage	...	Police Officer (uncredited)
Alexis Dahlin	...	Cafe Guest (uncredited)
Daniel Janzen	...	Police Driver (uncredited)
Izzy Young	...	Man in Synagouge (uncredited)

Directed by
Daniel Alfredson

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Jonas Frykberg		screenplay
Stieg Larsson		novel

Produced by
Stefan Baron	....	co-producer
Klaus Bassiner	....	co-producer
Susann Billberg-Rydholm	....	line producer (as Susann Billberg Rydholm)
Gunnar Carlsson	....	executive producer
Anni Faurbye Fernandez	....	executive producer
Wolfgang Feindt	....	co-producer
Jenny Gilbertsson	....	associate producer
Lone Korslund	....	executive producer
Jon Mankell	....	coordinating producer
Peter Nadermann	....	executive producer
Søren Stærmose	....	producer
Ole Søndberg	....	executive producer
Mikael Wallen	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jacob Groth

Cinematography by
Peter Mokrosinski

Film Editing by
Mattias Morheden

Casting by
Tusse Lande

Art Direction by
Maria Håård
Jan Olof Ågren

Costume Design by
Cilla Rörby

Makeup Department
Jenny Fred	....	key makeup artist
Love Larson	....	special makeup effects artist
AnnaCarin Lock	....	assistant makeup artist (as Anna-Carin Lock)
Oskar Wallroth	....	assistant makeup effects artist

Production Management
Tobias Åström	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Kerstin Sundberg	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Kennet From	....	props
Ola Handberg	....	props
John F. Lindquist	....	assistant props master (as John Lindquist)
Doreen Möllerström	....	property master
Peder Svensk	....	stand-by props

Sound Department
Niels Arild	....	sound editor
Niels Arild	....	sound re-recording mixer
Günther Friedhoff	....	dialogue recordist
Torben Greve	....	foley artist
Nalle Hansen	....	sound designer
Nalle Hansen	....	supervising sound editor
Anders Hörling	....	sound
Anne Jensen	....	foley recordist/editor
Andrea King	....	foley artist
Andreas Kongsgaard	....	sound designer (as Andreas Kongsgaard Mogensen)
Per Nyström	....	dialogue editor
Morten Pilegaard	....	additional sound designer (as Morten Pilegaard Jespersen)
James Shannon	....	dolby sound consultant
Camilla Mauritzson Skjaerbaek	....	dialogue editor
Mikkel Sørensen	....	foley recordist
Olle Tannergård	....	additional sound designer
Dan Widegren	....	boom operator

Special Effects by
Jocke Fors	....	special effects technician
Johan Harnesk	....	special effects supervisor
Lars Höglund	....	special effects technician
Björn Kronsell	....	special effects technician
Anders Lexne	....	armourer
Victor Nilsson	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Tobias Bach Hansen	....	digital conform
Andreas Hylander	....	visual effects artist
Linus Lindbalk	....	matte painter
Martin Madsen	....	visual effects
Ruslan Ogorodnik	....	visual effects supervisor
Sean Wheelan	....	visual effects producer: FILMGATE

Stunts
Lars Hjelm	....	stunts
Deni Jordan	....	stunts
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunt coordinator
Kimmo Rajala	....	stunt driver (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Björn Becker	....	gaffer
David Gylje	....	second assistant camera
Stefan Jonsson	....	electrician
Knut Koivisto	....	still photographer
Misio Mokrosinski	....	assistant camera
Knut K. Pedersen	....	Steadicam operator
Otto Stenov	....	gaffer
Daniel Svanberg	....	lighting technician
Dag Svensson	....	clapper loader

Editorial Department
Dag Bodin	....	technical support
Ola Bäccman	....	digital intermediate colorist
Per Legelius	....	on-line editor
Sigrid Strohmann	....	Script Editor (ZDF Enterprises )
Nikolai Waldman	....	on-line editor

Music Department
Rasmus Bosse	....	orchestrator (as Rasmus Hansen)
Peter Fuchs	....	scoring mixer
Martin Roller	....	assistant scoring mixer
Paul Talkington	....	music coordinator
Marian Turner	....	orchestra manager
Allan Wilson	....	conductor: Slovak National Symphony Orchestra

Other crew
Camilla Ahlgren	....	script editor
Klas Ankelstam	....	production assistant
Annica Bellander	....	marketing manager
Maria Billberg	....	location manager
Peter Bille	....	collection agent: European Collection Agency
Henning Cronheim	....	craft
Henning Cronheim	....	production assistant
Line Winther Skyum Funch	....	lawyer: Yellow Bird Films
Peter Gustafsson	....	consultant: Svenska Filminstitutet
Peter Gustafsson	....	film consultant
Alexandra Hummingson	....	voice-over artist
Hans Lönnerheden	....	completion guarantor
Tommy Saks	....	insurance: Media Insurance Brokers
Sigrid Strohmann	....	script editor
Martin Strömberg	....	publicist
Eva Svenstedt Ward	....	story consultant
Lotta Westberg	....	script supervisor

Thanks
Anna Hedenmo	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Yellow Bird (as Yellowbird) (presents)
• ZDF Enterprises (in co-production with)
• Sveriges Television (SVT) (in co-production with)
• Nordisk Film (in co-production with)
• Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) (as ZDF) (in co-production with)
• Filmpool Stockholm Mälardalen (in co-production with)
• Film Väst (in co-production with)
• Spiltan Underhållning (as Spiltan Underhållning M AB) (in co-production with)
• Svenska Filminstitutet (SFI) (with support from)

Distributors

• Zodiak Rights (2009) (worldwide) (all media)
• Alliance Films (2010) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Alliance Vivafilm (2009) (Canada) (theatrical) (Québec)
• Benelux Film Distributors (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Encore Films (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Energía Entusiasta (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• GAGA (2010) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Golden Village Pictures (2010) (Singapore) (theatrical)
• Incognito Films (2010) (Lithuania) (theatrical)
• Music Box Films (2010) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• NFP Marketing & Distribution (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Nordisk Film (2009) (Finland) (theatrical) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Nordisk Film (2009) (Norway) (theatrical)
• Pop Entertainment (2012) (South Korea) (theatrical)
• Rialto Distribution (2010) (Australia) (theatrical)
• Solar Entertainment (2011) (Philippines) (theatrical)
• UGC Distribution (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• BIM Distribuzione (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• Calinos Films (2009) (Turkey) (all media)
• Canvas (2010) (Belgium) (TV)
• Caravella DDC (2010) (Russia) (all media)
• Edko Films (2011) (Hong Kong) (DVD)
• Imagem Filmes (2010) (Brazil) (all media)
• Katholieke Radio Omroep (KRO) (2011) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2010) (Belgium) (DVD)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2010) (Belgium) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (extended version)
• Lumière Home Entertainment (2010) (Netherlands) (DVD) (extended version)
• MTV3 (2010) (2012) (Finland) (TV)
• Music Box Films Home Entertainment (2011) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Nordisk Film (2010) (Finland) (DVD) (Blu-ray) (extended version)
• Odeon (2010) (Greece) (all media)
• Solar Entertainment (2009) (Philippines) (all media)
• Sub (2012) (Finland) (TV)
• Vendetta Films (2010) (New Zealand) (DVD)
• Vértigo Films (2009) (Spain) (all media)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2010) (Germany) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2012) (Finland) (TV)
• Zon Lusomundo Audiovisuais (2010) (Portugal) (all media)

Special Effects

• Panorama film & teatereffekter
• Filmgate (visual effects)
• Terminal FX (uncredited)

Other Companies

• Dagsljus Filmequipment  recording equipment (as Dagsljus)
• Britts Corner Catering  catering (as Britts Corner)
• Southwest Productions  second unit production: Portugal
• Nordisk Film Post Production  film lab: Sweden (as Nordisk Film Post Production Stockholm)
• Jolly Roger Klippstudio  editing studio (as Jolly Roger)
• Nordisk Film Audio  sound studio
• Ljudligan  adr
• Strömberg PR  press relations
• Strömberg PR  public relations
• Content Marketing Group  business relations
• Content Marketing Group  cross promotion
• CPH Legal  legal counsel
• European Collection Agency  collection agency (as ECA)
• Film Finances  completion guarantor (as Film Finances Ltd)
• Media Insurance Brokers  insurance
• Svenska Handelsbanken  bank (as Handelsbanken)
• Slovak National Symphony Orchestra  score performed by (as Slovakiska National Symfoniska Orkestern)
• Slovak Radio Concert Hall  score recorded at (as Slovakiska Radions Concerthal, Bratislava)
• Aftonbladet  the producers wish to thank
• Kia Motors Sweden  the producers wish to thank
• Posten Logistik  the producers wish to thank (as Posten Logistik AB)
• Scandic Hotels  the producers wish to thank (as Scandic)
• SJ  the producers wish to thank
• Sony Ericsson  the producers wish to thank
• Sterling Airways  the producers wish to thank
• Acer Sweden  thanks (as Acer)
• Digital Media Services (DMS)  digital marketing asset management (uncredited)

Also Known As:

"Flickan som lekte med elden" - Sweden (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for brutal violence including a rape, some strong sexual content, nudity and language

Runtime:

129 min | 183 min (TV version)

Country:

Sweden | Denmark | Germany

Language:

Swedish | English | Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | Australia:MA15+ | Brazil:16 | Canada:18A (Alberta/British Columbia/Manitoba/Ontario) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Chile:TE+7 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-15 | France:U | Germany:16 | Hong Kong:III | Iceland:16 | Ireland:16 | Ireland:18 (DVD rating) | Italy:VM14 | Japan:R15+ | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:R16 | Norway:15 | Peru:14 | Portugal:M/16 | Singapore:M18 (edited version) | South Korea:18 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R (certificate #46228)

Filming Locations:

Götgatan, Södermalm, Stockholm, Stockholms län, Sweden

Company:

Yellow Bird

Trivia:

Director Daniel Alfredson is the brother of Tomas Alfredson, director of Let the Right One In (2008) and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011).

Goofs:

Continuity: The knot on the piano leg changes type and position between shots.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Home Bound (2014)

Soundtrack:

Would Anybody Die

Lisbeth back in action

There's an important detail about the film version of The Girl Who Played with Fire (in fact, of the whole Millennium trilogy) that needs to be known in order to understand why some (myself included) perceive this as the most flawed installment in the series: originally, all three adaptations were shot for Swedish television, with six 90-minute episodes condensing Stieg Larsson's remarkable prose. Late in the game, it was decided to give The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo a theatrical release, albeit in a shortened version (half an hour was chopped off), and when that became the highest-grossing Swedish film of all time, the other two chapters received the same treatment, with the uncut versions held in storage until spring 2010. In the case of the second film, 60 minutes went missing in the TV-to-cinema transition, and it shows.

Picking up from the first episode, we catch up with Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) enjoying his newfound freedom and restored reputation, while troubled hacker Lisbeth Salander keeps mostly to herself. That is, until Millennium magazine enlists the help of two new collaborators for a special issue about sex trade, and the two are found dead, much like Lisbeth's sadistic guardian, Nils Bjurman. Evidence points to Salander being the killer, and with no way to defend herself she ends up on the run, desperate to prove her innocence, while Mikael tries to help her as much as he can from the office, eventually realizing he's in much bigger trouble than last time.

Based on the summary alone, The Girl Who played with Fire should be as great a thriller as its predecessor. That it isn't is essentially up to a couple of factors: firstly, new director Daniel Alfredson (brother of Let the Right One In's Tomas), who replaced Niels Arden Oplev for the last two bits of the trilogy, occasionally fails to capture the same raw atmosphere as in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; secondly, the aforementioned removal of one hour's worth of footage makes the whole thing feel a bit rushed, particularly in regards to new characters who are hastily introduced and then dispatched just as quickly. Additionally, the extended cameo of boxer Paolo Roberto, playing himself, will make little sense to non-Swedish viewers, though it is faithful to the book and allows for one kick-ass fight scene. As for the final twist, what came off as a shocking revelation on the written page loses a lot of its impact on screen, due in no small measure to Oplev virtually giving it away in the first film.

That the film manages to make any kind of impression is all thanks to one person: Noomi Rapace. Sure, Nyqvist's work is fun to watch, and the supporting players do their job well, but Rapace towers above all of them with her harried, mesmerizing portrayal of a rebellious yet strangely vulnerable woman who just won't take any crap from anyone. There are rumors of a possible Oscar campaign for her work in the trilogy (though if they had to single out a specific installment, the logical choice would be The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo), and she really deserves it, not least for her ability to show off her dramatic skills even in a moment as irrelevant as a gratuitous girl-on-girl scene (again, faithful to the book) that has clearly been added to compensate for occasional shaky plot points.

In short, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a great acting lesson and a fun thriller, but little more. A shame, given the high standards set by Lisbeth's first cinematic adventure.

6,5/10