# The SBHonline Community Daily > Books, Movies, and TV >  >  The Girl Who Played With Fire (Flickan som lekte med elden)

## JEK

Opens Friday in DC Metro theaters!

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## jim2

The Phila Inquirer gave it a disappointing review.  Said it wasn't nearly as good as the first movie.  What did the Post think?...if you read that liberal rag.

jim

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## JEK

I read the rag every morning around 0600.

A review:
Swedish sequel is mysteriously unfulfilling
By Michael O'Sullivan
Friday, July 9, 2010

All too often, the second movie of a trilogy is a bridge. ("The Matrix Reloaded," anyone?) As often as not, it feels more like the first half of the last movie than a film in its own right.

"The Girl Who Played With Fire" is no exception.

The sequel to the nearly flawless "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" (see DVD review, Page 35) -- the first in a series of three films based on the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson's best-selling mysteries -- is good but not great. Where "Tattoo" was gripping, "Fire" is merely attention-grabbing. It's just as violent and darkly creepy as the first film, but the richly satisfying payoff isn't there. As a teaser for the third and final course in this three-course meal, it's fine. When "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" finally hits theaters, every one of the movie's fans will be there. But for now, no one will walk away from this table feeling fully fed.

That's not to say there aren't some real pleasures in "Fire." In it, we learn a bit more about Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace), the fascinating computer hacker and titular avenging angel introduced in the first film. Sure, she's still kind of unknowable. That's part of her tough-yet-vulnerable mystique. Yet "Fire" manages to peel back a layer or two of her onion, revealing more of the old hurts that drive her.

When the second movie begins, she's still underground. Having used her high-tech skills in that earlier story to help her sometime lover, investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), solve an old murder, she has now fled Sweden -- after taking time out from that mystery to exact revenge on her sadistic parole officer, Bjurman (Peter Andersson). Yes, Lisbeth has a troubled past. It's what makes her so interesting.

Lisbeth returns to Sweden only to find that she has been implicated in a triple homicide -- including the murder of Bjurman. (The other victims are a journalist and his girlfriend, both of whom were working with Mikael on an exposé of a sex-trafficking ring.) This pulls Lisbeth back into Michael's orbit. But for much of the film, the two characters remain apart, communicating only via e-mail while Mikael tries to clear Lisbeth's name, and while Lisbeth tries to stay one step ahead of the law (and a vicious gangster named Zala).

It's a frustrating separation, mainly because the relationship between Mikael and Lisbeth was what made "Tattoo" tick. On paper, these two are a total mismatch: He's a paunchy, middle-aged writer; she's a pierced and tattooed cyberpunk. On film, however, their relationship crackled. You couldn't call it love, exactly. Lisbeth, who's bisexual -- not to mention emotionally damaged -- wouldn't commit to anyone. Still, they made a memorable couple, both as lovers and as detectives. So it disappoints to see them inhabiting the same film but rarely sharing screen time together.

A word of warning: Where "Tattoo" led you, step by step, through the investigation at the center of that film, "Fire" cuts narrative corners. An old man from Lisbeth's past (Per Oscarsson) is introduced, but the movie never tells us exactly what their relationship is nor how Michael suddenly tracks him down. That's a critical piece of the puzzle, and it's left out.

There's a delicious bewilderment to the best mysteries, a balance between what's revealed -- and how quickly -- and what's concealed. In "The Girl Who Played With Fire," the equilibrium is off. Parts of Lisbeth that were previously hidden, even to herself, become clearer. That's what's best about it. But then the story ends, before she -- and we -- have a chance to see her do something with it.

If knowledge is power, then Lisbeth, at the end of this movie, has just been handed a loaded gun. We'll all have to wait for part three to see whether she pulls the trigger.

Contains strong, violent imagery, sex, nudity, obscenity and smoking. In Swedish with English subtitles.

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## jim2

That's about what the Inquirer said.  It too (again) praised the first film.  It's playing right downstairs from where we live but I'm not rushing down.

Jim and I both highly recommend "I Am Love" if you live near any of D.C.'s arty movie venues.

jim

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## JoshA

Agree that "I am Love" is worth seeing. More for Tilda Swinton's performance and the cinematography than for the story. Many gripping moments but doesn't really hang together.

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## jim2

> Agree that "I am Love" is worth seeing. More for Tilda Swinton's performance and the cinematography than for the story. Many gripping moments but doesn't really hang together.



 Can't agree.  I think it does a great job of showing how the lady of the house (prison) breaks out and discovers what it is to live.  The movie is somewhat over the top e.g. music but I think a well thought out movie beautifully filmed.

jim

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## JoshA

Don't disagree. Over the top was what I thought also especially the last scene. Best side bits involved food - especially the soup in the climactic scene. Lovely!

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## jim2

Okay!! We kind of agree.  Also like the way we hijacked the initial thread.  And how about that scene where she first tastes the chef's food??  Wow!!

jim

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## JoshA

Yes, great rendering of the pleasures of eating and yes, this is a total hijack considering this forum is supposed to be about books, not movies.

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## JEK

Mrs. JEK and I saw it this afternoon (can't watch TV and float in the pool all day) and it MUST be seen my lovers of the book. Different from the first, but faithful to the book and riveting. See it on a big screen if possible.

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## andynap

So the reviews were wrong??

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## JEK

Who care about reviews -- we loved it. Go see it before it departs the big screen.

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## andynap

Why the big screen instead of my big TV

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## JEK

I think the subtitles are much easier to read on the big screen. Also only for those who have read the book -- the movie brings the pages to life.

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## jim2

After I saw the film get a big thumbs up from one of our moderators, I decided to see it yesterday. Have to agree with John.  I think it's almost as good as the first one.  The difference for me being that in this film I had already met the leads in the earlier film and so the initial surprise was missing.  Can't get over how terrific the actress playing Lisbeth is.  She's perfect and I pity the actress who essays the role in the American production.

Also, the scene near the end where she digs herself out of the "grave" was a bit much.  I laughed a little when I saw her use Ms Wu's cigarette case as a shovel.

All in all, go see it.  It's very good.  But read the book first or you might be confused.

jim

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## JEK

Jim,
That is the difference -- all the character discovery is gone as we now know B & S. The new characters were all well cast and fit my mind's eye description. Not might get confused -- there would be no way to follow the names and characters.

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## KevinS

Fire is being released on DVD on October 26.

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## KevinS

The Girl Who Played With Fire is being released on DVD on Tuesday, October 26.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest is in theaters beginning on Friday, October 29, and will be released on DVD on January 4, 2011.

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## JEK

Merci!

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## Eve

I loved the first book on your advice, just read the second one and thought that much of the first movie was taken from the second book. Many explainations in the second book were used in the first movie.
Didnt love the second book, but I am sure I will see the movie

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## JEK



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