MOVIE: THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO

This old bestseller-to-movie chestnut; I’m usually a fan. And since this is a Swedish production of a darker-than-you-expect bestseller, I had high expectations that it wasn’t going to be another Da Vinci Code (shudder). Larsson set the director a hard task: a film’s length just couldn’t permit all his minutiae and extreme detail, which meant the opening and closing scenes were unfulfilling and much of the book was omitted. But the mid-section was riveting. The darker chapters are lingered upon, Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) met the casting expectations of many (even her odd coupling with the ageing reporter is believable), and the murder mystery plot is paced well. Larsson and Niels Arden Oplev obviously get off on rummaging into the dark recesses of humanity, which results in a fine chestnut indeed. (RK)