I loved this movie. I love the book as well, which makes it particularly surprising that I came away from the movie with such good feelings. I have been a life-long reader of murder mysteries, and very few of them get any sort of national or international traction of this brief series--even the very best of the genre. The story is complex, with unlikely allegiances, two protagonists instead of one, both with significant strengths but balanced by equally significant flaws. More like real people--exceptional people, but real.
The movie cut some of the book--necessary, and yet, not nearly as irritating as these things often are. They got rid of a dalliance of Mikael's, which is a distraction and it was wise to cut it. It makes him more human, but less likable, and in a movie, you don;t have that much time to build up sympathy for the characters that it is critical that we care about. The whole last quarter of the book is left off, which is in some ways the coolest, slickest part of the book, but it would really be a whole other 2 hour movie unto itself to depict what machinations Lisbeth goes through to get some revenge for Mikael and some financial freedom for herself.
Those are the differences--what feels so satisfying about this movie is that the cast of characters is pitch perfect, exactly as you would see them. The cinematography is crisp, clear, cold, and gorgeous. The script flows well, and Lisbeth, who is a very hard character to master, is magnificent. the actress who plays her took kickboxing, toned up, and practiced her part for months before filming and it shows. Do not miss this--and then go catch The Girl Who Played with Fire before it leaves theaters.
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