The Girl Who Played with Fire (2009) Film 27/50

Varför så allvarlig?

(Yes, that's Swedish for "Why so serious?")

At least, it is according to Google Translate.

While this make-up job was in actuality mentioned in Stieg Larsson's book (published in 2006), I still maintain it's an homage to Heath Ledger's Joker. And nothing will ever change my mind about that. Nothing.

So the movie...

They cut out a lot. Like most of the dots connecting A to Z. In the book, Salander visits the murdered couple on the night they are killed. There were witnesses. The movie just lands the murder weapon with her prints next to the dead reporter. Talk about a flimsy case, movie.

And it basically just feels like they took all the major plot points from the book and filmed them back to back, without any real consideration for how their omissions and alterations would impact the motivation behind each of the characters' actions. But they did get Paolo Roberto to play himself. What a coup there.

I feel like I just watched the SparkNotes version of the book. I got all the major points but lost all the rhythm and tonality of the book. I'm hoping Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara can do better.