What I Saw: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo
Really? This is the film that fanboys have been dying to see? Fincher fanboys, Larsson fanboys, Lisbeth fanboys, Mara fanboys and possibly some Craig/Blomqvist fangirls too, have hyped this movie all year long, insisting that it was going to be David Fincher’s glorious response to his Social Network loss, and Rooney Mara’s ticket to the Kodak theater.
I’ll grant you that the opening sequence was fast paced like the first trailer, and that Lisbeth gets a few well-placed catchphrases throughout the film. I can even appreciate the artistry of the costumes and art direction which helped to set the mood of the sixties flashbacks, or the skill evident in the cinematography, editing and score. But the film didn’t effectively utilize these technical achievements to further the story, nor did they provide enough atmosphere to keep me engaged. If anything, they felt like a distraction and contributed to my lack of interest. I found that I didn’t care about any of the characters, whether heroes, villains or victims, and the investigative techniques felt stale and routine. Despite its two and a half hour running time, the movie lacked a compelling sense of mystery, and then rushed through the resolution scenes involving Harriet, Wennerstrom and Anita.
So have at it fanboys and fangirls: Keep talking about the relationship to the books, or comparing this remake to the Swedish original. Debate all you want about whether Noomi Rapace or Rooney Mara is more beautiful or badass or brutal. Keep telling me that the second and third installments of the series are where all the action is. Because each time you do, it only makes me wonder why this version turned out to be such a boring film.
Oscar Chances:
I had been suspicious enough of the fanboy chatter to keep TGWTDT out of my nominee lists for the major categories, but admit that I fell victim to it enough to keep Fincher and Mara within striking ground. It’s always possible that the Academy’s technical branch will see something that I didn’t, but at this point I think that Reznor and Ross’ score is the only serious contender for a nomination.
Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (currently ranked 4)
Sound Mixing (currently ranked 2, will drop in next predictions)
Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall (currently ranked 5, likely to drop in next predictions)
Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (currently ranked 7)
Best Director: David Fincher (currently ranked 7, will drop in next predictions
Cinematography: Jeff Cronenworth (currently ranked 7)
Lead Actress: Rooney Mara (currently ranked 8. Holding steady due to Golden Globes nomination)
Makeup (currently ranked 11, likely to drop in next predictions)
Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt and K.C. Fox (currently ranked 12)
Best Picture (currently ranked 13, will drop in next predictions)
Sound Editing (currently ranked 20)
Costume Design: Trish Summerville (currently ranked 22)
Lead Actor: Daniel Craig (currently ranked 39)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!
My Lamb Score: 1 1/2 out of 5 Lambs
What is a lamb score? Click HERE to learn more.
Read more of my reviews HERE.
Really? This is the film that fanboys have been dying to see? Fincher fanboys, Larsson fanboys, Lisbeth fanboys, Mara fanboys and possibly some Craig/Blomqvist fangirls too, have hyped this movie all year long, insisting that it was going to be David Fincher’s glorious response to his Social Network loss, and Rooney Mara’s ticket to the Kodak theater.
I’ll grant you that the opening sequence was fast paced like the first trailer, and that Lisbeth gets a few well-placed catchphrases throughout the film. I can even appreciate the artistry of the costumes and art direction which helped to set the mood of the sixties flashbacks, or the skill evident in the cinematography, editing and score. But the film didn’t effectively utilize these technical achievements to further the story, nor did they provide enough atmosphere to keep me engaged. If anything, they felt like a distraction and contributed to my lack of interest. I found that I didn’t care about any of the characters, whether heroes, villains or victims, and the investigative techniques felt stale and routine. Despite its two and a half hour running time, the movie lacked a compelling sense of mystery, and then rushed through the resolution scenes involving Harriet, Wennerstrom and Anita.
So have at it fanboys and fangirls: Keep talking about the relationship to the books, or comparing this remake to the Swedish original. Debate all you want about whether Noomi Rapace or Rooney Mara is more beautiful or badass or brutal. Keep telling me that the second and third installments of the series are where all the action is. Because each time you do, it only makes me wonder why this version turned out to be such a boring film.
Oscar Chances:
I had been suspicious enough of the fanboy chatter to keep TGWTDT out of my nominee lists for the major categories, but admit that I fell victim to it enough to keep Fincher and Mara within striking ground. It’s always possible that the Academy’s technical branch will see something that I didn’t, but at this point I think that Reznor and Ross’ score is the only serious contender for a nomination.
Original Score: Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross (currently ranked 4)
Sound Mixing (currently ranked 2, will drop in next predictions)
Film Editing: Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall (currently ranked 5, likely to drop in next predictions)
Adapted Screenplay: Steven Zaillian (currently ranked 7)
Best Director: David Fincher (currently ranked 7, will drop in next predictions
Cinematography: Jeff Cronenworth (currently ranked 7)
Lead Actress: Rooney Mara (currently ranked 8. Holding steady due to Golden Globes nomination)
Makeup (currently ranked 11, likely to drop in next predictions)
Art Direction: Donald Graham Burt and K.C. Fox (currently ranked 12)
Best Picture (currently ranked 13, will drop in next predictions)
Sound Editing (currently ranked 20)
Costume Design: Trish Summerville (currently ranked 22)
Lead Actor: Daniel Craig (currently ranked 39)
As always, check the Tracker Pages in the upper right hand corner of this blog for the most updated predictions in all categories!
My Lamb Score: 1 1/2 out of 5 Lambs
What is a lamb score? Click HERE to learn more.
Read more of my reviews HERE.
