This dark, grim, cynical thriller (based on the novel by Stieg Larsson) has been meticulously crafted by the gifted David Fincher. And even though its extremely well made, I couldn't help but feel like something was missing. I guess I should be pointing a finger at the source material rather than the director. Fincher has explored similar terrain to stronger effect in the past (Seven is a masterpiece while Zodiac is a grossly underappreciated procedural drama). Right off the top it bears mention that a Swedish production of the book (much beloved in Scandinavia) was released only two years prior and is available in English-subtitles on DVD. What's most worth noting for our purposes is the fearless, uninhibited performance by Rooney Mara (so good in a bit part as Mark Zuckerberg's girlfriend in The Social Network and an inveterate scene-stealer here - chewing up the noire scenery with all of the visceral odd-ball charisma that made the books such sleepwrecking obsessions. Mara soars in this career-making turn as the fearless, unorthodox Private I. whose dark past of childhood abuse plays heavily into the plotline of the two subsequent Salandar novels (films) but may or may not fetch up as part of the opening opus that kicks off the story. My lips are sealed (actually "swollen shut".)

With the Swedish productions well out ahead of the promised Hollywood trilogy, keeping spoilers out of the waters should prove to be nigh-on impossible. So do yourself a favor and hang on to your virtue - the surprises are many and compelling: including both the narrative as well as the love interests that are a constant source of audience spy work - Including, but in nowise limited to the functionally dysfunctional tryst that is an inevitability with proven "espionage-ready" Daniel Craig's as the fascinating Mikael Blomkvist (a character that you can't help but suspect that Steig Larrson wrote as near to Autobiograpy as is fictionally possible. These two equally central characters first cross paths investigating a case grown so cold that only the warmth of mucho dinero could possibly scratch the surface of its PermaFrost. It involves the mysterious disappearance of the granddaughter of a mega-wealthy Swedish industrialist. A possible, kidnap/murder that took place 15 years past, on an island that serves as the fortunate families summer retreat. For the sake of officialdom - The disappearance has been written off as a likely accidental drowning with no body, and fewer leads. But certain similarities between this weed-covered incident and the history of our title character, compel the wary Lisbeth to aid Mikael in his last-chance investigation. Our heroine has good reason to treat men with a poorly-concealed enmity - her history with the male of the species have been less than stellar (or should I say Stellan) yet there is something about the gentle manner of Blomkvist to allay her customary fear and loathing and away we go. As expected, The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is not for the squeamish or the easily offended. It features among other things a graphic rape sequence, plenty of nudity, and scenes of torture. As the trailer so eloquently suggests--"Its the feel bad movie of Christmas". In the end, Fincher remains a brilliant film-maker and his take on The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo-- while somewhat disappointing-- is still worth seeing for its appropriately grim tone and a mesmerizing performance by Rooney Mara who I suspect we'll be seeing a lot more of in the future.

Grade: B