I was very conflicted when I first heard about this film. On the one hand, here is a remake of a very recent Swedish film, and on the other it is made by David Fincher, who I respect. At least this isn't such a bizarre project as Gus Van Sant's remake of Psycho My initial response was that I am not interested in seeing the film made for Americans who are too lazy to read subtitles. But - I can't be so against remakes because I very much like The Beat That My Heart Skipped, Which is a French remake of an American film. Anyway, I did go to see it.
It turns out that this film is comparable in quality to the Swedish adaptation of the novel, and it's pretty similar to it. Daniel Craig, an actor for whom I have much respect, is excellent, as is Rooney Mara, who has the required punk look and rides a mean motorbike. There is also Christopher Plummer, continuing the Indian summer of his career after the very satisfactory Beginners, Stellan Skarsgård, fresh from Melancholia, and Robin Wright, who I fell in love with in that sadly neglected film Stage Of Grace.
This is an intelligent film that does serviceable job of telling the story. One of its strengths is that it is firmly rooted in Sweden without in anyway taking a postcard, or Woody Allenesque, view of the country, and we really feel that it is a cold and snowy place. Daniel Craig, who I learned to like in Our Friends In The North, here plays the part with charm and modesty. One change is that the relationship between Craig and Mara becomes more of a simple romance than I recall it being in the Swedish adaptation of the novel.
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