THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Rated R)

 

The flipside of family friendly entertainment during the holiday season is expertly realized in director David Fincher’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,” a popular Swedish crime novel from the author’s Millennium Trilogy.

Not to be confused with the Swedish film of the same name, Fincher’s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” still touches upon the story’s caustic themes of corruption, murder and dark family secrets.

The film’s mood is as gray and gloomy as a Scandinavian winter, which is appropriate enough considering the main action occurs on a remote Swedish island with a bleak landscape.

At the beginning, Daniel Craig’s Mikael Blomkvist becomes a disgraced journalist when he is convicted of libel for his reporting on the activities of a Swedish Daddy Warbucks named Wennerstrom.

One has to question Mikael’s ethics or common sense for publishing an expose of a corporate titan based upon a single anonymous source that he can’t even personally identify.

The journalist’s reckless behavior threatens the future of his periodical, as well as the illicit relationship he has carried on with his editor and occasional lover, Erika Berger (Robin Wright).

To seek redemption, Mikael takes on an assignment to chronicle the family history of Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer), Sweden’s wealthiest and most prominent industrialist.

But Henrik Vanger also has his own agenda, namely for Mikael to get to the bottom of the long-ago disappearance of his beloved niece, Harriet, who was believed to have been murdered by a member of the large family.

At the same time, Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara), the film’s titular character, a computer hacker and unorthodox investigator, is hired to do a background check on Mikael. The Vanger patriarch takes plenty of precautions.

Rooney Mara steals the picture. Her Lisbeth is a waifish, goth-punk loner who has been in and out of trouble most of her life. Her multiple body piercings and tattoos, to say nothing of tight leather clothes, convey her intensity and alienation.

A ward of the state, Lisbeth must report to a sadistic appointed guardian who abuses her sexually in return for the welfare money she needs to pay for rent and food.

Lisbeth’s guardian grows increasingly abusive, resulting in a horrifically violent rape scene that makes one wonder how the film skated by on an R rating.

But then, when Lisbeth devises a unique but fierce plan for revenge, the tables are turned so dramatically that she boldly proves to be one not to be trifled with.

Meanwhile, as Mikael plods through old documents and photos inside a cold cabin on the Vanger estate, Lisbeth is hired by Mikael as a researcher.

Her no-nonsense dedication is commendable, but then she inexplicably seduces her employer by stripping naked and practically tearing off his clothes. Lisbeth takes on no task without a sense of urgency.

Their investigative efforts turn up a series of odd coincidences and personal quirks of the Vanger clan. Many of the family members are so reclusive that they no longer talk to each other.

The lack of communication is often for good reason. A few of the older generation were former Nazi sympathizers during the war.

Outside of Henrik, the most accessible member is Henrik’s nephew Martin (Stellan Skarsgard), the missing Harriet’s brother. Given the responsibility of running the Vanger corporate interests, Martin also proves guarded.

Mikael and Lisbeth discover clues in a series of photographs that serve like a frame-by-frame replay of the events on the day Harriet disappeared in 1966. All that is missing from these photos is a grassy knoll.

But there’s more to their sleuthing efforts than just a focus on Harriet. They stumble upon the trail of an apparent serial killer of women, which adds yet another layer of foreboding events to this thriller.

Like the vast majority of the American moviegoers, I have not seen the Swedish film, so I am not compelled to make the inevitable comparisons otherwise required to render a judgment.

Standing on its own merits, David Fincher’s vision in “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” is unsettling enough to render a taut, moody thriller made all the more fascinating by Rooney Mara’s superb performance.

DVD RELEASE UPDATE

It may no longer be necessary for you to sign up for premium cable TV service as long as you have the patience to wait for the DVD release of favorite series.

Of course, this assumes that you are only interested in one or two programs, so the wait is worth the presumed savings on the cable bill.

Any series involving sex, power, murder and other intrigues is likely not provocative enough unless it shows up on Showtime or HBO.

“The Borgias,” an unvarnished portrait of one of history’s most captivating families, was the perfect sinful period drama for Showtime.

Now “The Borgias: The First Season” is available on DVD, allowing for complete enjoyment of the reign of power and flamboyant cruelty orchestrated by the Borgia family in the Renaissance-era Rome.

Jeremy Irons proved to be powerfully effective as the cunning, manipulative patriarch of the Borgia family who rose to power and position as Pope Alexander VI.

The DVD features all nine one-hour episodes, along with special features that include full episodes of other Showtime programs, including “Californication” and “Dexter.”

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.