The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

What is hidden in snow, comes forth in the thaw.

Investigative reporter Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is hired by a wealthy industrialist (Christopher Plummer) to look into the mysterious disappearing of his niece 40 years ago; he believes that a family member might have killed her. This remake of the 2009 Swedish film rides the wave of the immensely popular “Millennium” books, but offers little new except a few changes in the final act. Evocatively shot in Sweden, the movie has a good cast and is just as brutal as the original. Overlong, but it is a testament to the power of the story and David Fincher’s filmmaking skills that it works so well a second time. Opens with a knock-out title sequence.

2011-U.S. 158 min. Color. Widescreen. Produced by Scott Rudin, Søren Staermose, Ole Søndberg, Ceán Chaffin. Directed by David Fincher. Screenplay: Steven Zaillian. Novel: Stieg Larsson. Cinematography: Jeff Cronenweth. Music: Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross. Cast: Daniel Craig (Mikael Blomkvist), Rooney Mara (Lisbeth Salander), Christopher Plummer (Henrik Vanger), Stellan Skarsgård, Steven Berkoff, Robin Wright… Joely Richardson, Per Myrberg, Gustaf Hammarsten, David Dencik, Inga Landgré, Joel Kinnaman.

Trivia: Carey Mulligan and Anne Hathaway were allegedly considered for the role of Lisbeth; George Clooney as Blomkvist; and Max von Sydow as Henrik.