One word describes this murder mystery

Posted Jan 19, 2012 By Mark Haskins

MOVIE: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

STARRING: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer, and Stellan Skarsgard

DIRECTOR: David Fincher

RATING: R

EMC Lifestyle - I will sometimes say a film is a work of genius. If you weren't sure what I meant by genius then watch The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. That is exactly I how define the word genius.

At its heart The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a murder mystery. It's a mystery that has haunted Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), one of Sweden's wealthiest industrialists, for 50 years. One summer Henrik's niece, Harriet, disappeared, and Henrik believes a member of his own family murdered her.

Henrick has obsessed over his niece's case all these years, and he's become desperate to solve the mystery. To that end he has enlisted the help of Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig). Mikael is an extremely gifted investigative journalist who was recently convicted of libel. Needing some time to get away from his troubles, and intrigued by Henrick's story, Mikael agrees to look at Harriet's case.

To say Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara) has issues is an understatement. She's a 23-year-old ward of the state with anti-social and violent tendencies. She's also a brilliant hacker who works for a security company hired to do a background check on Mikael. With a genius level intelligence and a razor sharp focus her ability to sift through information and make connections is unparalleled. So when Mikael needs an assistant she is the obvious choice.

Together they wade into the murk and mystery of the Vanger family's secrets. What they uncover goes way beyond the disappearance of one girl.

I haven't read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo or the other books in the trilogy. I haven't seen the European version of the films either. I went into The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo not really knowing anything about it, but after seeing it I want to read the books, I want to watch the movies, and I can't wait for the The Girl Who Played with Fire. It begins with the disappearance of a girl and evolves into a complex story with layers of intrigue and deception. It's an intricately woven story with characters that are uniquely compelling, and in some cases horrifying. It's as raw and visceral as it is intelligent. Quite simply it's one of the best mysteries I've ever seen.

Daniel Craig and Christopher Plummer give brilliant performances. Stellan Skarsgard is riveting as Henrick's nephew Martin. But of course the real story is The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Lisbeth is such a unique character. She's a borderline sociopath with a genius level I.Q. She's mentally scarred and the victim of abuse. She's dark and violent, but she's strong too and heroic. It's a fantastic character and a fantastic performance. Rooney Mara gives herself completely to this role. It's one of the most fearless portrayals I've ever seen.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is genius.

Mark Haskins' column is a regular feature of the EMC.