| 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 | |
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Michalis Koutsogiannakis | ... | Dragan Armanskij |
| Annika Hallin | ... | Annika Giannini | |
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Sofia Ledarp | ... | Malin Eriksson |
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Tomas Köhler | ... | Plague (as Thomas Köhler) |
| David Dencik | ... | Janne Dahlman | |
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 suspects 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. Written by Music Box Films
I am among, I guess, those very few people in Europe who have not read the best-selling novel by Stieg Larsson, but, not feeling in the mood to see another too emotionally engaging romance or drama, although its being my favourite genre, I went to see what is depicted by Larsson's fans as a captivating and gripping thriller.
Indeed, I can't say whether the movie proves adherence to the novel, which is something by the way difficult, considering the length of the book, however, I can say that the product is a well-crafted piece of cinema, which leaves also interesting food for thought. Used as we are, as southern Europeans, to see at Northern, and mainly Scandinavian countries, as models of democracy, economic progress and social welfare, it's quite surprising to see a modern Sweden stained by corruption and unscrupulous tycoons. Moreover, it is quite upsetting to get to know how Nazi extremist and insane ideas were rooted not so much in the history of the country, but in the conscience of people, in this case of a powerful and wealthy family, where the hatred towards the Jews has mixed with the hatred towards women, turning the lives of whole generations into a hell of ferocious violence and horror.
As far as the thriller story, it's engaging, but carried on very carefully, every aspect being under control, with flashbacks constantly reassuring us about aspects we have already perceived, without moving a little apart from a well consolidated stylistic model of this kind of movie genre. Sometimes a little slow, sometimes too indulging in violent scenes, but with a strong directing consciousness supporting it. Convincing and really good the performances offered by the whole cast, unknown to the great public, but I would underline the actress playing Lisbeth as really outstanding and upsetting in her mental and emotional distress. On the whole, it's not a masterpiece, but a good and well made movie.