Day: June 23, 2012

Movie Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

3.5 out of 5 stars

Perhaps I should have read the book first.  Or at least read a plot synopsis.  As much as I love hacker themes, I have a hard time swallowing and digesting violence, especially that perpetrated against women.  That being said, I still feel a bit disappointed in Lisbeth’s response to her assailant.  I thought she went too easy on him.

The ‘locked room mystery’ portion of the film held most of my interest, causing me to pause and rewind the BluRay several times, and play sections of it in slow motion.  I love a great mystery and I adore female characters who don’t slow down for inferior intellects.  Keep up, or shut up and get out of the way.

The ending convinced me to stick to non-contemporary literature for my fiction reading.  What has that got to do with this movie?  Well, as we all know, real life sucks.  As far as I can tell, contemporary literature, especially crime novels, which this movie was based upon, exists to expose us to the absolute worst aspects of humanity and society, leaving us with little resolution and a scarcity of hope.

Give me a good fantasy film like The Prince Bride (the debut film for Robin Wright who also appeared in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) any day.  At least then I won’t yell at my husband how much I hate men while watching it.  (Yeah, I paid for that comment for  hours after the movie ended).

Movie Review: Man on a Ledge (2012)

Man on a Ledge (2012)

3.5 out of 5 stars

A better than average thriller starring a couple of my favorite actors: Sam Worthington and Ed Harris (although the latter looked like he had recently been ill and lost some weight).  I enjoyed seeing Anthony Mackie again, whom I loved in The Adjustment Bureau, but can’t say I liked his character in this movie.

I can’t disclose too much about the plot without spoiling most of it (which is true for most thrillers).  Worthington is a police officer, who lost his appeal and faces twenty-five years in prison.  He knows he’s innocent (but haven’t we heard that from just about any convict?) and he’s got nothing to lose.  He escapes while attending his father’s funeral and then places himself on a ledge high above New York City streets, but not for the obvious reason.

You’ll be on the edge of your seat trying to keep up with the twists, turns and surprises.