Recently I finished watching the Swedish trilogy of films based on Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy. I really enjoyed the books (particularly the first one) and enjoyed the movies as well (particularly the first one). When I finished the third movie, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, I thought a lot about the American remakes that are currently filming. I’m glad that they were put into the more than capable hands of David Fincher, a fantastic director, but I still have a few concerns.
For one, Noomi Rapace was absolutely brilliant in the three Swedish films. Lisabeth Salander is the heart and soul of the trilogy and one of the best characters I have come across in literature and film. In an amazing performance, Rapace was Lisbeth in those movies. Fincher cast Rooney Mara in his trilogy, after working with her on The Social Network. There are some positives and negatives here, in my opinion. She hasn’t been in that many things at this point in her career, which means that I’m not sure if she has the acting chops to pull off the demanding role. At the same time, it also means that the audience is not going to have any preconceived notions about her coming into the film. That will make it easier to see her as Salander.
The other thing that was so great about the books, and in particular about the movies, was the fact that they were not Hollywood-made and didn’t have the mass appeal aesthetic of so much of today’s novels and films. These books were unique, and the movies lacked the glamour and pomp of a Hollywood productions. I’m very curious to see how Hollywood will treat the material.
We got a little hint this week, as the red band (R-rated) trailer was leaked onto the internet. I have to say, I was a little surprised by it. The Swedish movie was a quiet, suspenseful affair, and the trailer — a series of quick cuts playing under a wailing version of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song” as covered by Trent Reznor and Karen O– was jarring and dare I say scary? The trailer made it look like a horror movie. I suppose with a lot of the subject matter in the first story of the series, it could be considered very dark subject matter. With the studio billing it as “The Feel Bad Movie of Christmas,” I suppose that’s what they’re going for. Certainly, there wasn’t a lot to tell from the trailer and there were only brief flashes of Mara as Salander. Though, with the photos that W magazine debuted (mildly NSFW) I’m optimistic that she is going to do really well with the role. It certainly looks like a Fincher film, though, with stark colors and dreary landscapes, reminiscent of Se7en and Fight Club.
I’ve embedded the trailer below, and it is most definitely NSFW, so be careful.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Jun 01, 2011 @ 09:00 EST5EDT
