The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest

And so, Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy finally reaches its end in The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets' Nest. Is it a cathartic finish for Noomi Rapace's goth computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander? Will Michael Nyqvist's crusading journalist, Mikael Blomkvist, be able to save the day? Or is it less of a sting in the tail and more a blunted climax?

Thankfully, after the idiotic Girl Who Played Fire, an entry that sank under the sheer weight of ridiculous, convoluted storylines, Hornets' Nest ends on a note that is at least satisfying, if nothing else. It's talky, prosaic and very long but it sensibly treats the characters as characters once again, as opposed to devices. It's hard to tell if all the extraneous storylines are tied up but the loyalty to the characters is refreshing and, crucially, plausible. It hearkens back to the moody Gothic intrigue of opener The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, a thriller that, although flawed, proved grimly compelling in spite of a muddled storyline.

Briefly recapping the bloody end of Fire, Salander has wound up in hospital with a bullet in the head. Her repulsive, sex-trafficking father has survived as well, although her impervious-to-pain half-brother is still on the loose (maybe 007 can sort him out). The sense of intrigue and portent gathers steam when the mysterious organisation who have been lurking in the background of the previous two films plot to remove Salander and her father once and for all. It's up to Blomkvist to compile a credible legal case and begin the final fight back.

It's a big ask to sit through what is essentially more than two hours of exposition and, with even more characters constantly added to the mix, it threatens to become ever more over-wrought. But there's a vital sense of things coming to a dramatic head, and when Rapace turns up in court, hair done up in a mohawk, clad in heavy leather, make-up and rings, the moral concerns of Larsson's work cut through all the fluff like a hot knife through butter.

For while there's been a lot of padding during this trilogy, Rapace has been nothing short of magnificent, forging one of the most dynamic, complex female character studies seen in a film in years. Nyqvist is also impressive, albeit in a more understated, impassioned sense, and it's terrific to him finally fighting for the cause, but it's Rapace's show all the way. Her character is the greatest enigma of all, and the film has the good sense to end it as such. Ultimately, sexual politics may be the most confusing thing of all - but it's never dull with characters like Salander around.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a film poised to have it both ways: a harrowing psycho-sexual drama and a pulp suspenser, taken from the first in Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy (the author having tragically died before his manuscripts saw publication). In the end, it's impossible to be both at the same time but, like the recent Shutter Island, while it might not be entirely successful, it's a gripping (and often disturbing) ride.



Also like Shutter Island, it moves unpredictably from one mood and vignette to the next, presumably a result of the book having been culled and compressed into a two hour timeframe. What it does have over Scorsese's effort is likely the breakout female performance of 2010: Noomi Rapace as the girl of the title, wounded, witty, sensual, haunted hacker Lisbeth Salander, the film's beating (and often beaten) dark heart. Brilliantly edgy, Rapace is very much a female hero for the digital age, appropriate given her character's profession.



The plot is set in motion in classic detective fashion with clues piling on each other and characters pitted against situations that have much wider implications. Author and journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist) is on the losing end of a court case that saw him make libellous comments in his new book about the head of a powerful corporation; unseen from the sidelines, Lisbeth is observing Mikael's computer activities; and ultimately, Mikael himself is employed by the uncle of a girl who went missing 40 years ago. Suspecting foul play within the decadent and corrupt Vanger family, Mikael and Lisbeth must team up to crack the mystery.



Against this, the seemingly incongruous scenes of horrific sodomy and rape between Lisbeth and her sleazy, newly employed legal guardian may appear entirely gratuituous, belonging to another film entirely. Yet it's the digging beneath the surface towards the finale that unveils a disturbing culture of widespread sexual violence that has been set in motion with these dreadful scenes from the start. Still, their presence alongside the casual genre staples of detective fiction guarantees the film a somewhat uneasy mood, caught between flippant and subtle, horrific and throwaway.

Likewise when the culprit behind it all is ultimately unveiled, it feels like it has crashed into us before we've had a chance to drink in the seductively dour Swedish atmosphere. The somewhat lopsided sexual politics are also, outside Rapace's performance, as incisive as a smack in the face, but it's certain to keep one guessing, is far more intelligent than standard and thank heavens the gender-centered thriller has finally made a comeback. Make no mistake: Noomi Rapace's terrific performance is the reason why we stay for the duration, the knockout final image of whom redefines the word sexy for a whole new generation.