THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST (Alliance, 2010) D: Daniel Alfredson, w/ Michael Nyqvist, Noomi Rapace. Rating: NNNN DVD package: none Rating: NNNN
This makes a fine conclusion to the trilogy begun with The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. Watch those two first, not only for the ongoing plot, but also for the way the elements of corrupt officialdom and personal sadism that have blighted the life of Lisbeth Salander merge into a powerful social indictment.
In the wake of the bloodbath that ends GWPWF, brilliant and psychologically damaged Lisbeth (Noomi Rapace) faces an attempted murder charge engineered by shadowy government men. Crusading journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) starts digging, and the shadowy men get nasty.
It’s a long movie with lots of plot, so the tension builds slowly, but after an hour a pervasive dread kicks in that mounts steadily to the courtroom climax.
Lisbeth spends most of the movie as an invalid or a prisoner, but Rapace keeps her fierceness intact and never plays to our sympathy. Even after three movies, it’s still a remarkable performance.
There are no extras. I’m guessing they’re saving them for the trilogy box set that’s sure to come along.
EXTRAS Widescreen. Swedish, English audio. English subtitles.
