Movies

From the visually and sonically arresting opening credits alone, it's clear that The Social Network and Se7en director David Fincher isn't going to sanitise this much-anticipated Hollywood remake of Stieg Larsson's literary and Swedish film phenomenon The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

Balancing heart-pulsing action with slow-burning intrigue, Fincher's slick thriller does perfect justice to Larsson's characters and story, engaging fans and first-timers alike.

The labyrinthine plot integrates two stories: an elderly industrialist Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) on an icy, isolated island in Sweden enlists publically shamed journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to investigate the 40-year-old unsolved murder of his missing niece.

Back in Stockholm, we meet the enigmatic Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), a surly, anti-social goth computer hacker whose surveillance work eventually leads her to Blomkvist. But there's a lot more to this intriguing woman than meets the eye.

Mara delivers a star-making performance as the prickly Lisbeth, and as her foil, Craig brings leading-man appeal to Blomkvist. They are supported by excellent turns from Robin Wright as Blomkvist's business partner and lover, and Christopher Plummer, Stellan Skarsgard and Joely Richardson as members of the Vanger dynasty.

Fincher takes an unflinching approach to the themes of sexual violence against women, religious fanaticism and corporate thuggery, framed by the backbone of a conventional whodunit thriller.

Purists may take issue with a tinkered plot point towards the end, but this Girl goes further into other details than the Swedish version, like Blomkvist's relationship with Erika (Wright) and his daughter (Josefin Asplund), plus some clever touches of dark humour.

Naturally the production values are more polished too, thanks to epic cinematography and Trent Reznor's industrial soundtrack. The only downside is the film's self-conscious sense of being 'cool' and 'edgy'.

Even at two hours and 40 minutes, The Girl's momentum never lets up. It's punchy while moody, brutal but romantic, and ultimately, an A-grade masterpiece.