American versions of foreign films are almost always put in the position of having to swagger onto the scene, justifying their existence almost before they even exist. But when news hit that David Fincher was making a Hollywood version of Stieg Larsson’s explosively popular novel Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I didn’t hear anyone breathe a sigh of regret; the mood seemed to be one of cautious anticipation.
That may be because even though all three of the Swedish films based on Larsson’s Girl trilogy made it comfortably to these shores, only the first of them — directed by Niels Arden Oplev — managed to ignite much enthusiasm among critics and audiences. That first Girl movie was efficient even within its pokiness, although its excessive grisliness and fanatical obsession with forensic photos didn’t make it particularly exciting, just unpleasant. Oplev had left Fincher plenty of room for improvement, or at least room for something different. Now, with his own Dragon Tattoo, Fincher brings us a picture that’s meticulously made and yet doesn’t come off as if it’s trying too hard. The Fincher version doesn’t actively negate the presence of the earlier one — it doesn’t have to — but its confidence and bravado are like a strong blast of sunlight with the ability to fade the memory of whatever came before.
That’s partly because Fincher — along with screenwriter Steven Zaillian — knows his way around a complicated thriller and partly because of his lead actors, Daniel Craig and Rooney…
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