The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (English)

Obviously by now, you would have already read the book. For those who haven’t, you have about 10 more days to do so coz this one is going to hit the screens in India on the 10th Feb 2012 (hopefully). PVR has started advance booking for the same. You can pre-book your tickets on the PVR Cinemas website. For those who are unaware, here is the link. http://www.pvrcinemas.com/movie/pre-book-form.aspx?pid=8N/SGuOj9j8=&movieid=rDJnnCx7F1KWUI4/ffc0hg==

This is the review for the English version. Just happened to catch up with it in Adelaide. Could not have waited till I got back to India because the damn teasing was getting too much to handle. It was to be released about 2 months back and I have no clue why the distributors were taking so long. Plus, how could I have missed an opportunity to post a review a full 10 days before my primary audience can watch it. Will post the link again a couple of days before the actual release in India if you would like me to that is.

David Fincher has been one of my favourite directors of all time. Starting from the spine chilling Se7en (not including Alien3) all the way to the exceptionally well directed Social Network that got him his second nomination (other than The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) at the Oscars. So you could have imagined my happiness when I realized that TGWTDT was to be directed by him in English. But my happiness has been for the first time ever so slightly belied by Mr. Fincher. Through the movie, there are small instances of deviating from the actual storyline that was written by Stieg Larsson. But it keeps building up to a point where you actually get a little peeved because he changes the ending which is supposed to take Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) to Australia and closes it at London instead. Left me quite perplexed as to why he would make so many changes. And then there are consistency errors – can you believe that about Fincher. I couldn’t myself so I think I will watch the movie once again to reconfirm the same.

However, Fincher continues to score on all the other aspects. The Casting was impeccable. Rooney Mara well and truly deserves her nomination. A pity she will lose it to either Meryl Streep or Viola Davis. Craig as Blomkvist and Plummer as Henrik Vanger were brilliant. The Editing had Fincher’s direction all over it to say the least. Kirk Baxter & Angus Wall who won it for Social Network continue to give their best here as well. Great camera work especially in some scenes which are outstanding like after Lisbeth tattoos Nils Bjurman on his chest and camera moves right over her. Simply stunning.

I did however think that a lot was overdone. Like the emphasis on the physical relationship between Blomkvist and Salander. The siphoning of Wennerstorm’s funds. And the last few pages of the book which show Salander losing out on love yet again. To name a few, these were the sections which need not have been addressed at all. And therefore, important parts such as Salander’s father and the exciting build up to finding out the murderer of Harriet Vanger get compromised. To Fincher’s credit, he has given the right importance to aspects such as the relationship with Erika Berger which was downplayed in the Swedish version. Overall, not upto Fincher’s standards. But definitely well made. No surprise though that the Oscars have ignored this one. 7 on 10 is what I say.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi3830160409/

Priest 3D

There has always been man and always been vampires. Since the beginning the 2have been locked in conflict. The vampires were quicker and stronger. But man had the sun. That wasn’t enough. And so it went like this for many years. The 2 races not only destroyed each other but almost removed each other from the face of the earth. Facing extinction mankind withdrew behind walls. And then the ultimate weapon was found - THE PRIESTS. They were swift and had phenomenal powers. They put an end to the vampire menace. But after that, the people who created them decided to disband them out of fear. They disappeared just like the vampires did. And as the days and the months and the years went by the last few were counting their final days. But now... They are back…. the vampires that is. They attack a city outpost and take away an eighteen year old Lucy (Lily Collins). They kill the girl’s mother Shannon (Mädchen Amick) and badly injure her father Owen Pace (Stephen Moyer). But the Vampires did not realize who they were messing with. Enter The Priest (Paul Bettany) who is coincidentally Owen’s brother. Oh Oh say the vampires – right? Wrong. The clergy, led by Monsignor Orelas (Christopher Plummer) doesn't support him in his request to chase down the vampires and bring them to justice. They also threaten to excommunicate him if he goes against orders. Monsignor Chamberlain (Alan Dale) knows that it will not be enough to stop the Priest. He speaks to The Priest but to no avail. The mission begins.

Ever get a feeling of not knowing whether there is more to a movie than what you saw? A little under a decade back is when Lord of The Rings would have released right? And the writer of these reviews did not know Tolkien from Adam. Sorry but had that phase in life where I refused to read for some inexplicable reason. But the writer is also maha excited about movies and so with a couple of folks in tow I did land up @ Symphony Theatre Bangalore (such a wonderful place – pity they had to shut it down and hand it over to the BIG guys). After about 3 hours, I was left with a feeling that said, “Unfair!!! This cannot be just it!!! There has to be more”!!! For those who know me, you can imagine how I must have fumed and fretted over the disappointment. A kid who was on the seat in front of me and would have been all of 3.5 feet, turns around and tells me, “Its got 3 parts. You didn’t know”???? Needless to say, I had to fetch my first copy of LOTR within an hour after this. 10 years after, I got the same feeling with Priest. Thankfully no kid this time. Ergo no embarrassment. But I must say that the movie based on the Korean Graphic novels / comics of the same name seems to be setting itself up to go the franchise way. Directed by Scott Charles Stewart, who hasn’t got out of the mould of his previous full length debacle called Legion – I refer to his obsession with vampires. Priest is filled with superb use of Special Effects and Graphics. Why the movie is classified as Horror is beyond me. Humanoid looking vampires who build nests like spiders spin webs don’t qualify as Horror to me. There is nothing much else in the movie very honestly. I would give it a 5 on 10 on the outside – must watch for the graphic novel / comic book enthusiast thanks to fantastic visual effects.

Watch the trailer at http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi4157250841/

Triple Cross

Written by Frank Owen, The Eddie Chapman Story, is the basis of this 1966 espionage thriller set in World War II. Eddie Chapman (Christopher Plummer) is a classy and one must assume extremely good looking criminal. He uses very simple household stuff to create explosives which he uses to blow up safes. Not to mention that he is extremely suave and smooth with the women. However, luck runs out and he is picked up by the cops and put into solitary. As soon as the Germans take over the town in which he is being held, he asks to see the commandant under the pretext of giving pivotal information about the war to the Germans. The commandant, not being in a position to ignore this, informs the relevant authorities. In a few days, Col. Steinhager (Gert Frobe) and Countess Helga (Romy Schneider) arrive at the prison to interrogate Chapman who makes them an offer of becoming in a double agent in exchange for obviously – money. Chapman is quite clear that he cannot stay on the Brit side thanks to his criminal record which would keep him in jail for 15 years and therefore strikes a deal with the Nazis.

Steinhager and The Countess are not quite sure about the authenticity of Chapman and therefore reject Chapman’s offer. Chapman is then sent across to a facility for war criminals close to Paris where he meets Paulette (Claudine Auger). Unable to restrict himself to just mere flirtations, Chapman squeezes himself out of his quarters and makes his way to have some fun with Paulette. Unfortunately gets caught in the bargain and is taken to the firing squad. Its only here that we realize that the entire operation was a front to show Chapman as dead and our duo of The Colonel and The Countess whisk away Chapman to meet Baron Von Grunen (Yul Brynner) who is a key person in the Third Reich.

The Baron is willing to go ahead with the training of Chapman to run a very special project of blowing up the key aircraft facility in Britain. Chapman is put through a very rigorous schedule peppered with some close comfort with The Countess who The Baron has instructed to gain Chapman’s confidence. On completion of the training effort and some tests for Chapman’s credibility he is then packed off to Britain. Promptly, our friend Eddie, decides to go to his roots and spills the beans to British Intelligence who also find out that the story adds up. Chapman, very clearly focused on money and clearing his record, offers the Brits his services to get more information out and become a triple agent.

Confused by now? Not too confusing I assure you. Its all called out very clearly in the movie and stitched beautifully to ensure minimal confusion. Terence Young continues to impress me as a director. I had also reviewed Wait Until Dark before this and gave it an 8 on 10. Triple Cross came in a year before this i.e. in 1966 and I must say it’s a very good effort. Almost as good as the Audrey Hepburn starrer. Wonder why these movies from the 40s - 70s seem to have far more sincere performances than the ones after that. If one were to pick up a classic movie then chances are that there would be very little or no questions about the acting or direction. There could be chinks in the aspects of finishing, editing, consistency. But the basics are vastly unquestionable. No wonder they were referred to as the golden years. Christopher Plummer is extremely smooth in his rendition of Eddie Chapman. Yul Brynner as always does not understand the concept of not giving his best to anything. The passion that he has towards acting shows through the screen. Romy Schneider, Gert Frobe and even Claudine Auger (who has a very small but pivotal part) come up with some very sincere and committed performances. Triple Cross gets my nod @ 7 on 10. A shade below Wait Until Dark but a lovely watch nevertheless.