A mystery-thriller where the emphasis is as much on the mystery part as the suspense, this adaptation of Stieg Larrson’s bestseller satisfies on every level. A disgraced journalist (Michael Nyqvist), recently convicted of libel, takes a job investigating a long-ago disappearance at the request of a wealthy old man. His investigation draws in an equally troubled female computer hacker (Noomi Rapace) even as it stirs up the old man’s family, some of whom reside on the same Swedish island where the girl disappeared.
Beyond the whodunit, and the reason, are the characters at the center of the story. (They appear in two sequels by Larrson, although the movie’s ending is not the same.) Tattooed and punky looking, the young hacker is particularly compelling as played by Rapace, although an unconventional heroine. She and the journalist have complementary skill sets and personalities. The island becomes a kind of third character. At least once, or twice, the pair get out of a scrape that maybe they shouldn’t, if strict realism were being observed. But the movie makes up for that slight lapse by saving a twist for after we find out the guilty party. There’s also an emotional component to the characters that goes beyond most suspense films.
The Hollywood remake by director David Fincher awaits a 2012 release, but for those who can read subtitles this adaptation by Dane Niels Arden Oplev will be hard to beat.
IMDB link
viewed 5/5/10 at Ritz 5 and reviewed 5/26/10
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