Review: 'The Millennium Series' (Swedish)

I’ve tried to study the Swedish filmmakers.  No way I can claim to actually understand Ingmar Bergman, not fully.  Six times sitting through “La Strada” has only left me more confused.  However, a curiosity I’ve never been able to shake stirs my hunger for good stories and from time to time I come across a gem or two.  Such is the case with Niels Arden Oplev’s adaptation of Stieg Larsson's best-selling Millennium trilogy.

Surely, knowing how the Hollywood machine works, most of you will end up seeing these films after the rights get sold and they are remade with an “American” version— what a shame that would be. 

Here’s the basic premise:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

(Män Som Hatar Kvinnor; Millennium: Part 1: Men Who Hate Women)

Millennium Magazine, a Swedish political expose’ magazine is home to Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist).  Here, we would say his name as Michael Bloomquist, which is how they say it in Swedish as well, go figure.  However, this guy is the real deal: a headhunting reporter always on the ready to expose corruption, wherever he finds it.  He meets up with computer hacker extraordinaire Lisabeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) and the sparks begin to fly as Blomkvist investigates the disappearance of a wealthy daughter of former Nazi Industrialists.  As the plot develops, we’re also brought to know of Lisabeth’s dark, and troubling past.  Much is hinted at, but little is revealed as this part concludes.

The Girl Who Played with Fire

(Flickan Som Lekte Med Elden) Part 2:

Blomkvist and Salander begin peeling back the truth about the illicit Swedish Sex trade, into which young girls have been disappearing.  As Salander directs Blomkvist toward the truth, she disappears.  To find her again, Blomkvist will have to open secrets that the State has worked to keep hidden for decades.  Ghosts from the cold war return to steal away the vampiric Salander, leaving Blomkvist bewildered. 

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

(Luftslottet Som Sprängdes) Part 3:

Lisabeth Salander set her father on fire when she was a child.  The case, locked away in deep files for years, resurfaces as Blomkvist discovers the horrible truths about his secret partner’s past.  Salander’s father still lives, scared and vengeful, yet under the protection of the government that gave him political asylum when he changed sides thirty years before.  A former KGB operative, Salander’s father will stop at nothing.   Despite severe wounds and even torture, neither will Lisabeth Salander.  She has been looking for payback ever since she struck the match.

 

This series gets four stars out of five from this reviewer.  Noomi Rapace, as the dark and tormented Salander, is a force of nature.  Her delivery shines despite the gut-wrenching pain of the character she plays. 

Although most American viewers will not be completely familiar with the rest of the cast, including an outstanding job by Nyquist, they will not be disappointed.  We grabbed all three of these from Netflix online and watched them from our Wii console. 

 2009 R 147 minutes