It’s remarkable how much dedication actress Rooney Mara put into the role of the wildly interesting, yet mysterious Lisbeth Salander in this new adaptation of ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’. This is a remake of the 2009 Swedish film of the same name, itself an adaptation of a popular novel, the first of a trilogy. Honestly, Lisbeth’s backstory could be a film in its own right, but that doesn’t mean this film is any less magnificent.

The film’s plot is a simply a murder mystery, though the crime itself is a labyrinth and a wonderful head-scratcher. Michael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a disgraced writer of Millenium magazine, recently losing a liability case against a major company after a story he’s published against the company proves false. Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), a wealthy CEO of a family-owned company, recruits Blomkvist to help solve a murder that’s been haunting him for the past 40 years: the murder of his teenage grand-neice, Harriet Vanger.

At the same time, a mother interesting story takes place – Lisbeth Salander’s. Though she is full of piercings, tattoos, black makeup and leather, Lisbeth is a genius investigator and hacker. After her legal guardian experiences a stroke and is incapacitated, Lisbeth is given a new guardian in the form of Nils Bjurman (Yorick van Wageningen), a lawyer. Bjurman controls Lisbeth’s finances, giving her only monthly allowances. The interactions between Lisbeth and Bjurman are very gruesome, disturbing, and difficult to watch when it grows into sexual abuse and eventually rape. For the majority of the first act Blomkvist and Lisbeth are kept apart. Though Lisbeth provides a background check on Blomkvist early on in the film, it’s not until he requests an assistance do their paths cross. The first act is slow as it sets up the premise for Blonkvist and Lisbeth, and when the two team up is when the film truly kicks into high gear.

Though ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ features Daniel Craig, the true star here is Rooney Mara. Her performance in this film is a star-making one composed entirely of incredible commitment. Mara truly goes all out in this film, providing us with a character more interesting and provocative than the murder mystery itself. Mara’s Lisbeth Salander character is emotionless, but Mara’s performance allows a glimpse into the character’s delicate and confused mindset. We know horrifying things happened to Lisbeth in the past, and even in this film, but she rarely shows signs of weakness. However, when she does show weakness and vulnerability, it has incredible impact.

This is director David Fincher’s latest film after last year’s Best Picture-nominated ‘The Social Network‘, in which Rooney Mara had a brief role as the protagonist’s ex-girlfriend. Mara’s appearance in that film compared to this one is fascinating. ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is the third crime film Fincher has directed, after ‘Se7en’ and ‘Zodiac’, and it’s also his best thanks to the film’s unusual hero and strong script, written by Stephen Zaillian (‘Moneyball’ & ‘Schindler’s List’).

Also returning with Fincher are Trent Reznor (from Nine Inch Nails) and Atticus Ross, who both worked on the amazing score for ‘The Social Network’. Their score for ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, which is nearly three hours long, is just as great, with the same electronic-like sound from ‘The Social Network’, though noticeably darker, more haunting and ominous.

‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ is definitely the feel-bad film this Christmas, and it’s also one of the best films of the year. Just everything about the film is top-notch, from the consistently strong director in David Fincher (‘Fight Club’ & ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’), to the fantastic score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, to the beautiful cinematography by Jeff Cronenweth (‘The Social Network’ & ‘Fight Club’) , and to the strong performances by its wonderful actors, especially that of Rooney Mara. The ending of the film leaves room for more stories to be told (the sequels, ‘The Girl Who Played with Fire’ & ‘The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest’). And with such an incredible character as Lisbeth Salander, you just can’t help but want more of her. Hopefully under the direction of David Fincher, these future film adaptations will be just as strong as this one.

Four out of four Kents.

Extra Notes:

‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ features one of the best title sequences in a film this year. It’s played alongside a new rendition of the “Immigrant Song” by Led Zeppelin, featuring Karen O from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. It’s a beautiful, though sometimes incomprehensible, title sequence.