Niels Arden Oplev, the Danish director behind the first cinematic interpretation of Stieg Larsson’s Millenium novel trilogy (David Fincher’s version followed two years later), makes his English-language debut with Dead Man Down, a revenge thriller that unfortunately fails to triumph over innumerable weighty issues, namely screenwriter J.H. Wyman’s by-the-numbers script, pacing issues and an irritatingly dour mood. Continue reading “Review: Dead Man Down (2013)”
Headlining this week’s assortment of DVD and Blu-Ray releases is Sony Pictures’ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Adapted from Stieg Larsson’s acclaimed novel by Steven Zaillian (Contagion), David Fincher directs Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig in this slick and concentrated thriller about a man (Craig) hired to uncover the mysterious disappearance of a girl who has been missing for over forty years.
Featuring a confident and sexy, yet headstrong performance from Mara, striking cinematography and a punchy score from the mind’s of Trent Reznor and Atticus Continue reading “DVD/Blu-Ray Releases: April 23, 2012”
Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig), a recently abased journalist, is headhunted by wealthy patriarch Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to investigate the mysterious disappearance of his niece, Harriet Vanger. With the aid of unusual research mastermind Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), he embroils himself in a forty-year-old puzzle unlike anything he’s encountered before.
Stieg Larsson’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, with it’s ever winding central mystery, interesting characters and thought-provoking subtext, Continue reading “Review: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011)”
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