The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo- I braved it.
And while I’m glad I did, I’m certainly not adding Dragon Tattoo to my pile of trustworthy flicks to watch on a rainy day- I reserve that pile for Pride and Prejudice and Mean Girls. This one, on the other hand, will probably rest comfortably in my Amazing-Movies-I’ll-Never-Watch-Again pile, right beside Legends of the Fall.

It’s riveting. It’s haunting. It’s graphic.

And it’s oftentimes difficult to watch- most often when we see Lisbeth’s (played by Rooney Mara, who well deserves the Golden Globe nomination she received for it) part in the story. Lisbeth is an interesting take on the female heroine- certainly one we rarely encounter in Hollywood films.

One of the most eye-catching things about the film is Mara’s physical appearance in the role of Lisbeth; short, spiky black hair, bleached eyebrows, and piercings aplenty. Compared to a picture of the actress as she looks in everyday life, she’s barely recognizable.

L: Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander R: Rooney Mara at the 69th Annual Golden Globes

On the other hand, Daniel Craig’s James Bond-esque body is quite recognizable- yum. Not that it makes many shirtless appearances. But still.

The film is typical David Fincher style (re: The Social Network); it’s precise, filled with attention to detail, and it defies norms. It’s based on Stieg Larsson’s novel of the same name, and follows a journalist (Craig) who, with help from computer-hacking Lisbeth, tries to solve the mystery of Harriet Vanger, who was allegedly murdered 40 years before.

Definitely worth a watch. Just don’t bring the family.

M.