The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

I have not been amazed by a newer film in quite awhile, at least not to the extend that The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo blew me away. To be honest, I was not all that interested in seeing this film. I have not read the books (though I want to now), and had somehow not been pulled into any of the buzz/hype I had seen online and in entertainment publications. I ended up going to see it with my 19 year old daughter, who had gotten movie tickets as a holiday gift and invited me out to the movies. I am thrilled and thankful that she chose this film because I fear I may not have seen it at all, or at least not on the big screen.

I loved it. I completely loved it.

It is not for the faint of heart, and it should come with some pretty significant warnings for anyone who is triggered by sexual violence/abuse. I know that it was rough for me to watch, and I had an equally rough night of sleep due to the nightmares it brought into my consciousness, but as a survivor of sexual violence, I am glad I saw the film.

There is a strength and survival about Lisbeth that is inspiring, as well as her vulnerability and intelligence. There is so much I could write about Lisbeth, so much I felt/feel for her character. Even in her most silent moments she made me feel such a myriad of emotions – heartbreaking, inspiring, breathtaking, Lisbeth is my kind of amazing superhero.

Rooney Mara is beyond fantastic in this film. She inhabits the character of Lisbeth in a way that gets to you, into you, and sticks with you. I was immediately drawn to her and have not been able to shake her character since. Daniel Craig was fantastic, as well. I loved the tinges of humor and humanity he brought to the role of Mikael, and the dynamic between he and Lisbeth was so raw and real. I also very much enjoyed Christopher Plummer in this.

The score and direction, the visual aspect of this film (even when it disturbed), all of it blew me away. I am once again reminded why David Fincher is one of my all-time favorite directors. Though I do plan on both reading the books and seeing the original Swedish version of the film, I will stick by my feelings about this film.

It has made it on to my favorite films ever list, and really, it honestly did, blow me away.