The Girl Who Played with Fire (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)"The Girl Who Played with Fire" - I did not read this second book in the Millennium trilogy so the movie was all new to me. Lisbeth Salander (perfectly delineated by Noomi Rapace, a great fit for the part)has been absent from Sweden for a year since we last met her in "Tattoo" living a life of luxury in various countries. She buys an apartment in Stockholm, but no one knows about it. The sexually ambivalent Lisbeth wants to get her dossier from her sadistic guardian, Bjurman, and when he isn't forthcoming, she warns him he may get another harsh dose of the previous punishment she doled out to him.
Meanwhile the movie follows a second track of narrative. Mikael Blomkvist (well-acted by Michael Nygvist), publisher of the muckraking magazine Millennium, has hired a free lancer to write an article about sex traffickers and the johns that are involved in the trade. He intends to out some of the prominent johns.
The two parallel stories are like procedural crime tales, and at a crucial stage, the two narratives intersect. There's violence, sex, gore, fires, spies, car chases, torture scenes, and suspense as we follow the protagonists. Lisbeth always seems to be immersed in intrigue, and nasty stuff. There's some computer wizardry in this one, but not as much as in the first film. She's forced on the run from the law because she's accused of three murders.
Lisbeth's cruel father whom she has torched as a child comes blazing back in this sequel.
It ends in a cliffhanger that will entice viewers into seeing the third film in the series this fall.
The film is excellent, chilling, and absorbing, but I liked the first one better because it was more focused and involved more interaction between the two principals; it was more human and more touching than this one.
Lisbeth is as tough and wily as ever. There is superb acting and cinematography. The movie is in Swedish with English sub-titles which means it won't be seen by a wide American audience although it deserves to be. I have an uneasy feeling that when the American versions are made, they won't be nearly as good as these fine films partly because these two stars are perfect for their parts. It's an intricately plotted, labyrinthine, tantalizing mystery. It can be a standalone thriller even if you haven't read the novel.

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Lisbeth Salander is a wanted woman. A researcher and a Millennium journalist about to expose the truth about the sex trade in Sweden are brutally murdered and Salander's prints are on the weapon. Her history of unpredictable and violent behavior makes her an official danger to society. Mikael Bloomkvist, Salander's friend and Millennium's publisher, is alone in his belief of Salander's innocence. Digging deeper, Bloomkvist unearths evidence of implicating highly placed members of Swedish Society-as well as shocking details about Salander's past. He is desperate to get to her before she is cornered-but no one can find her anywhere.

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Let The Right One In Review

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(More customer reviews)Do not buy this movie yet. Magnolia butchered the subtitles and will be releasing a version with the theatrical subtitles in the near future. Magnolia will not replace this disc with the fixed one, so hold off on your purchase. You will know the correct version when you see "subtitles: English (theatrical release)" in the specs on the back.

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Oscar, a 12-year-old fragile and bullied boy, finds love and revenge through Eli, a beautiful but peculiar girl he befriends, who moves into his building. When Oscar discovers that Eli is a vampire it does not deter his increasing feelings and confused emotions of a young adolescent. When Eli loses the man who protects and provides for her, and as suspicions are mounting from her neighbors and police she must move on to stay alive. However when Oscar faces his darkest hour, Eli returns to defend him the only way she can.

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Let Me In (2010) Review

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(More customer reviews)Let Me In is one of the most beautiful films of the year, and probably the best remake that I have ever seen. It is based on the Swedish film, Let The Right One In, which was released two years ago to monumental acclaim from both critics and art-house audiences alike. This touching story, concerning a young man's crush on a 12 year old vampire named Eli, captured the hearts and minds of everyone who was lucky enough to see it. If Ingmar Bergman were to direct a vampire-themed film, it would look a lot like this. However, one should not think of the film as yet another entry into the recent "vampire" craze. It is much more than that. This is the film that Twilight only wishes that it could be.
The remake deviates structurally from the original, only in that the opening is a bit different, and a few minor characters have been altered or dropped altogether. The integrity of the storytelling remains intact, and as a result, much of the remake resembles the original in all of its snow-drenched glory.
Kodi Smit-McPhee plays Owen, a lonely young man who is constantly bullied at school in the most brutal fashion. He spends his evenings at home playing with knives, and spying on the attractive neighbor next door. In addition to these disturbing quirks, he has an almost addictive fondness for Now and Laters, and constantly eats the candy throughout the film. Chloe Moretz plays Abby, a young girl who moves in next door with a man that we initially assume is her father. The two meet on the playground one night, and bond over the intricacies of a Rubick's Cube. Soon, Owen develops a crush on his new friend, oblivious that Abby is really a vampire, and that her "dad" is in fact a serial killer, who creeps out into the night, stalking and killing random victims in order to bring buckets of blood back to Abby, in order that she will survive.
Meanwhile, an older cop tries to figure out who the mysterious killer is, as the bodies continue to surface. As far as Owen is concerned, the bullying still continues at school, but with a little advice from Abby, and a little bit of weight training, Owen realizes that he can stand up for himself in one of the film's most shocking - and darkly comic - sequences. It doesn't take long for Owen to realize who and what Abby really is. In all of his fright and confusion, he decides to stay by her side, and as a result, Abby vows to protect Owen in the only way that she knows how.
As I said, this is one of the best films of the year. Both of the leads deserve Oscar nominations for their layered performances. The cinematography is breathtaking. The score is beautiful, although there are moments in the film that could do without a background score. This is my only criticism of this otherwise perfect film. Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) has crafted a worthy tribute with Let Me In.
It is worth mentioning that this film is rated R, and while the film centers on two adolescents, it is not a film for the 12 and under crowd. It is much too disturbing at times, and the language is pretty rough. I would also encourage Twilighters to see the film, so that they may have a clear example of a film (Let Me In) and a product (Twilight).

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From Matt Reeves – the director of Cloverfield – comes the new vampire classic that critics are calling “chillingly real" (Scott Bowles, USA Today), “one of the best horror films of the year" (Cinematical) and “a haunting, touching and unforgettable thriller" (Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine).In bleak New Mexico, a lonely, bullied boy, Owen (Kodi Smit-McPhee of The Road), forms a unique bond with his mysterious new neighbor, Abby (Chloë Grace Moretz of Kick-Ass), who moves from town to town with the man who appears to be her father (Oscar® Nominee Richard Jenkins of The Visitor).Trapped in the mind and body of a child, however, Abby is forced to hide a horrific secret of bloodthirsty survival.But in a world of both tenderness and terror, how can you invite in the one friend who may unleash the ultimate nightmare?Based on the Swedish novel, Let the Right One In, “Let Me In is a dark and violent love story, a beautiful piece of cinema and a respectful rendering of my novel for which I am grateful." (John Ajvide Lindqvist, author)

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