The Girl who kicked the Hornets' Nest

2009 Director Daniel Alfredson

The "Millennium Trilogy" winds to a close with this installment.

The punky protagonist Lisbeth Salander fights to prove that she's innocent of committing multiple murders. As she lies in intensive care, the corrupt officials in high office attempt to take advantage of her incapacitated state by accusing her of murder. She is taken under the wing of a protective doctor, who keeps the Police at bay for as long as he can. But fiercely independent Lisbeth isn't about to play the scapegoat, and the more her accusers work to ruin her life, the harder she and her loyal friend Mikael Blomkvist must push back to prove them wrong.

Unfortunately this film does not pick up on the slow pace of the 2nd installment. Noomi Rapace holds this otherwise flimsey and overlong composition together well. Whenever she is off screen the story seems to elongate verging on tedium. I am very surprised that Michael Nyqvis' role is not elevated to the gritty fast paced character of the first film. Both "Played with Fire" and "Kicked the Hornet's Nest" could have been combined into one fast paced film instead of 2 drawn out ones.

One to see in order to complete the set but only for the dedicated.

The Girl who played with Fire

2009 Director Daniel Alfredson

This is the second installment of author Stieg Larsson's best-selling "Millennium" trilogy.

A prominent magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation into Swedish sex trafficking. The publisher of "Millennium" magazine, Mikael Blomkvist  has built an empire on his ability to shake up the establishment. Approached by a young journalist with evidence that high-ranking Swedish officials are involved in sex trafficking and crimes against minors, the incensed magazine publisher launches a comprehensive investigation that threatens to implicate some of the most powerful politicians in the country.

Unfortunately this sequel lacks the pace and intensity of its predecessor. The two main character stories remain separate until the very last scene, so none of the chemistry that made the first film so tight is present. The film ambles along and feels more like the hyphen between two films rather than a real second instalment. Noomi Rapace delivers a brilliant performance but Mikael Nyqvist seems to struggle with a character that has suddenly turned two dimensional. Let's hope that the concluding part picks up the pace of the first.

The Seventh Seal

1957 Director Ingmar Bergman

This film launched the international career of its director, Ingmar Bergman, and made a star of its 27 year old leading actor, Max Von Sydow. Endlessly imitated and parodied, this landmark film retains its ability to hold an audience spellbound.

A 14th century knight is wearily heading home after ten years' worth of combat. Disillusioned by unending war, plague, and misery he has concluded that God does not exist. As he trudges across the wilderness, he is visited by Death, garbed in the traditional black robe. Unwilling to give up the ghost, he challenges Death to a game of chess. If he wins, he lives, if not, he'll allow Death to claim him. As they play, the knight and the Grim Reaper get into a spirited discussion over whether or not God exists. To recount all that happens next would diminish the impact of the film itself. The Seventh Seal ends with one of the most indelible of all of Bergman's cinematic images: the near-silhouette "Dance of Death", which ironically was filmed on a whim due to the chance lighting conditions of the moment.

Sixty years later, Bergman's stunning allegory of man's apocalyptic search for meaning remains a textbook on the art of film making and an essential building block in any collection.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

2009 Director Niels Arden Oplev

Based on the late author Stieg Larsson's successful trilogy of books, this is a dark journey into the skeletal closet of the wealthy and powerful.

A journalist is hired to uncover the truth about the disappearance of a wealthy Swedish industry baron's niece forty years ago. He pairs up with a dysfunctional maverick computer hacker and together they embark on a disturbing journey into the darkest recesses of a family's history. The deeper they dig for the truth, however, the greater the risk of being buried alive by members of the family who will go to great lengths to keep their secrets tightly sealed.

This film grabs you by the lapels and keeps your attention riveted throughout. It is masterfully constructed and Noomi Rapace gives a captivating performance that is Oscar worthy. The film is gritty, haunting and fast paced with some violent scenes that are uncomfortably real. This is definitely not one for children to see. Although much depends on the hacker's abilities the film does not get bogged down with technology but concentrates more on the human element. There are a good many references, intentional or not, to  Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blow up. This is a cracker of a start to a trilogy and I hope the sequels can keep up not only the pace but also the superb acting and excellent cinematography.

The Sacrifice

1986 Director Andrei Tarkovsky

This film, sadly, was Tarkovsky's last. He brings together all his legendary imagery skills in a tale of hope over desperation.

It begins in Bergmanesque fashion on a small, remote island, where friends and family gather for a birthday celebration. The revelry is interrupted by a radio announcement that World War III has begun, and Mankind is only hours away from utter annihilation. As the roar of the overhead missiles is heard, each of the guests reacts differently to the news. The most dramatic response is the host's, who promises God that he'll give up everything he holds dear if war is averted.

The Sacrifice is so dependent upon its visuals and overall mood that any attempt at a detailed synopsis would be woefully inadequate. The willingness of Tarkovsky's protagonist to fore go all his possessions may well have sprung from the cancer-ridden director's awareness that he, too, would soon be giving up everything to face his Maker. The irony of the film is that the house in question was burnt down as the final act of the film but because the shots did not come out right Tarkovsky, ever the perfectionist, rebuilt the entire structure against the clock to get the final shot as he intended. The "Making of" film is every bit as nail biting as the main event.