The year of the dragon

Keep your distance: Noomi Rapace as Salander

FANS OF the late Stieg Larsson's phenomenally successful Millenniumtrilogy will be adept at dissembling misinformation and, thus, will not be deceived by the curiously dialogue-free trailer for this adaptation of the first novel in the series.

Despite what the distributors would have you believe, this is the original Swedish-language adaptation that has already become a smash all across mainland Europe. It's no masterpiece, but you can (just about) see what the fuss is about. Though absurdly overlong and far too self-important, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoodoes pose more than enough agreeably twisty conundrums.

As a million bus commuters will be aware, the story concerns a partnership between two very different sleuths. Lisbeth Salander, a computer hacker, who favours fourth-generation punk piercings, works as a researcher for various shadowy bodies. Mikael Blomkvist, a middle-aged, archetypically drained journalist, has recently been given leave of absence from a liberal magazine after being successfully sued for libel.

To earn a spot of money during his sabbatical, Mikael takes a job from an elderly recluse who lives (there’s a lot of this about this week) on a scary, windswept island. The man’s grandniece vanished some 40 years ago and he believes the hack may be able to identify her murderer – or kidnapper). Along the way, Lisbeth gets drawn into the case.

Readers of the novels should have little complaint about the casting. Despite resembling a more respectable Shaun Ryder, Michael Nyqvist has the right class of weary intelligence for Blomkvist, and Noomi Rapace spins off resentful sparks as the titular firebrand.

That noted, Larsson’s characters do seem somewhat less nuanced when thrust before the camera’s intrusive, inflexible gaze. Much has been made of Salander’s role as a feminist avenger – she fights back against male abuse early on in the story – but, as depicted here in such gruesome detail, the sexual violence seems more than a little gratuitous. More damagingly, cowed, one assumes, by the novel’s already sacred status, the writers have allowed the story to meander on for at least 20 minutes too long.

For all its daunting financial success, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo– competently shot, energetically scored – plays like an episode of Inspector Morsewith ideas above its station. The makers of the inevitable Hollywood remake should take heed.

THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO/MÄN SOM HATAR KVINNOR

Directed by Niels Arden Oplev. Starring Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace, Lena Endre, Sven-Bertil Taube, Peter Haber, Peter Andersson 18 cert, gen release,
152 min