The Girl Who Played With Fire

Jeri Jacquin, Movie Maven

Opening this Friday in theatres from director Daniel Alfredson and Music Box Films is the highly anticipated next installment from author Stieg Larsson with “The Girl Who Played with Fire”.

This film tells the story of Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), a young woman with a violent past. Once again, she knows that all debts against her haven’t been paid.

Making another house call on her legal guardian Nils Bjurman (Peter Andersson) to make him aware that he has been neglectful and she reminds him of their deal.

In the meantime, reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is working on another interconnected story. This time it deals with drugs and sex trafficking in Sweden and who’s running it. With the help of the paper Millennium, the team tracks down lead after lead.

One small act brings these two back on a case in search of answers. Lisbeth, now accused of murder, doesn’t take long to begin connecting the dots. She is the best when it comes to research and the best at hacking information. Both of these talents come in handy to clear her name.

What they both uncover brings Mikael the answers he has always wondered about Lisbeths’ life. At the same time she comes to terms with a history she never knew about her family.

FINAL WORD: Rapace has done it again and brought so much to the character of Lisbeth. In the midst of a scarred life she is determined. There is something amazing about this actor’s ability to play such a dark character and do it so well.

Earlier this year was the release of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” which was amazing. She won the Swedish version of an Oscar for her work and it is extremely well deserved. The final film in the trilogy is “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest” and you can be sure I will be first in line to see the trilogy come together.

Nyqvist as Blomkvist once again delves where he probably shouldn’t and comes up with everything he should. His character is openly anti-establishment and with that the ability to do what’s right.

Blomkvist does this smoothly and with what seems like no effort at all. His character is accepting of Lisbeth as he vehemently denies the accusations against her.

This film is taken from the Millennium trilogy, which is the name of the newspaper Blomqvist writes for in the film. The book “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” has already sold 40 million copies and the final book “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest” debuted at number one.

Author Stieg Larsson never saw his books come to such fame as he died suddenly, four months before the release of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”.

Now Hollywood is attempting to take a bite of this Swedish hit by remaking an American version. In my opinion this is totally unnecessary as the originals are brilliantly made. Rapace and Ngyvist as Lisbeth and Mikael are these characters. Any remake in my mind would just be a bastardization of the compelling and thought provoking work of Larsson.

TUBS OF POPCORN: I give “The Girl Who Played with Fire” four tubs of popcorn out of five. Although this film is a tad lighter in shock value it does unravel several mysteries about the main character Lisbeth Salander.

Equally it opens the door for more questions. I will be waiting anxiously for the next installment of “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest”.

The cinematography was done well and the story took twists and turns never leaving the viewer behind. Honestly it does help to have seen the first film but not required to enjoy it.

In the end – there is more than just the girl who played with fire.