tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post7701799215430431506..comments2024-02-15T01:05:07.101-08:00Comments on The Smoking Pen: "I'll More Than Alarm You."M. Hufstaderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-89344294657923227092012-11-12T21:42:28.749-08:002012-11-12T21:42:28.749-08:00@ Dylan--extraordinarily late comment, but word to...@ Dylan--extraordinarily late comment, but word to that, my friend, word to that!<br /><br />@ starcasherxoxo--Yes! I'm glad you agree! Noomi was just enough lethal and just enough human. I'm with you there! If Noomi and Craig were in the same movie...well. It just might've been too much badassitry for the theatres to handle. M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-43209253370046782562012-11-12T21:36:39.886-08:002012-11-12T21:36:39.886-08:00I have to agree with ALL OF THIS. I LOVED Daniel C...I have to agree with ALL OF THIS. I LOVED Daniel Craig as Mikael, but Noomi as Lisbeth was PERFECT. She just brought something to the character Rooney Mara just couldn't. Too bad they couldn't get Noomi in the American remake. :0/starchaserxoxohttp://starchaserxoxo.tumblr.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-13757711437529412202012-01-06T10:40:32.196-08:002012-01-06T10:40:32.196-08:00To be fair, I didn't mean the "everyone l...To be fair, I didn't mean the "everyone looks better" comment to be an indictment against American cinema. Your point is true in general, but I don't necessarily think that was the case here - it's not like they put Jessica Simpson in for Salander and Jolie for Berger, it was just enough of an upgrade to notice. Moreover, I was kind of distracted by Nyqvist's and (whoever player Berger in the original's) plainness before. Which I guess is an indictment of me, though I swear it's all in the book that they're attractive. Seems most writers only have excellent-looking characters...Dylanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03337478312308606554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-56184952393558235612012-01-06T10:31:57.653-08:002012-01-06T10:31:57.653-08:00@ Dylan--I'm glad you enjoyed it! I had to let...@ Dylan--I'm glad you enjoyed it! I had to let these two movies duke it out. I think with Lisbeth...it depends on what you want from the character. I thought Noomi was more relatable, more human, her hard exterior more of a defense mechanism than anything, which Mara was more volatile, more animal, more...Nikita. Really, all I could think of was La Femme Nikita. It's those guttural, animal reactions. <br /><br />I also haven't read the book, but I'll trust you and give the movie props for faithfulness. Still, doesn't mean that the ending didn't drag a bit. <br /><br />Charisma-free Craig! I think he's good when the script works for him. It's all in the cat. I'm telling you. If Craig is cold to his fellow human beings, he had a lot of love for that cat. <br /><br />And everyone was certainly more attractive in this version. But I think that's just Hollywood. Americans don't put ugly people in their movies, because who wants to see that? Even our "ugly nerds" are always played by attractive actors. Because clearly ugliness is...er. Metaphorical. Or something. Use your imagination. Now here's some 3D for those of you who can't understand depth on a flat surface. (End rant)<br /><br />Ahahaha! I'm glad you enjoyed that! What can I say, the woman inspires me. Thanks for the comment, homie!M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-81707062539184294542012-01-06T10:22:08.933-08:002012-01-06T10:22:08.933-08:00@ Russ--Minger! That is a great word that has just...@ Russ--Minger! That is a great word that has just made a home in my vocabulary. I can't think of a better way to describe the man. He had a nice face...kind of. You wouldn't mind if he was like...your strange uncle or something. Definitely not action movie love interest material, though. <br /><br />I didn't actually realize how "pretty" Rooney Mara was until I watched Social Network for the first time last night. I get why David Fincher likes her...the girl's gorgeous. Just...you know. Not quite "Lisbeth". <br /><br />And I can't believe you just put Bjurman and Salad Fingers in the same sentence. That is the stuff nightmares are made of, man. Nightmares! <br /><br />Thanks! I'm glad you liked it. I quasi-agree with you there...I enjoyed the remake in its own right. But I also would've been satisfied with the original and left it at that.M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-89193659294611944212012-01-06T09:55:30.140-08:002012-01-06T09:55:30.140-08:00What a fucking great smackdown - you covered all t...What a fucking great smackdown - you covered all the bases, and I'm fairly certain that I'm with you on all of your verdicts. Craig, Rapace (though I really wanna watch the original again to solidify my thoughts on those two - I know Rapace had the look down closer to what I was imagining when reading, but I just might like Mara's portrayal more...), the brutality, even the ending, though the ending of Fincher's plays out nearly identical to the book (and sets up the next story), so I can't fault it too much for being faithful.<br /><br />Craig was the big surprise for me. Not a huge fan of his as I always call him "charisma-free," but perhaps that's what works best for this character. <br /><br />On a more shallow note, was it just me, or was just about every non-Lisbeth character played by a more attractive actor this time around? Specifically Craig and Penn, but it goes beyond them as well.<br /><br />"Noomi Rapace is a gritty, badass punk who still carries with her a sharp edge of humanity underneath the smoldering flames of the violence that lives inside of her. Or I just want to get in her pants. Either or."<br /><br />Ha! This is why I love your writing.Dylanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03337478312308606554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-42909017337279252962012-01-06T05:00:00.854-08:002012-01-06T05:00:00.854-08:00The thing with Nyqvist is that he was a real minge...The thing with Nyqvist is that he was a real minger! Now don't get me wrong, I don't fancy Daniel Craig, but in the books Mikael is a real ladies man, and Nyqvist most certainly wasn't!<br /><br />I also was surprised by Mara, though she was clearly just made up to look rough; her face is too round and "pretty", Rapace is definitely the real Lisbeth.<br /><br />My main problem was that Bjurman reminded me of Jack Black! Though I did like the sickly music that played whenever he was on screen, very creepy and uncomfortable; put me in mind of the music from Salad Fingers.<br /><br />Great Face Off by the way. I probably also agree that there is not much between the two versions, but then if a remake isn't going to offer much more than the original, then why make it?filmrrusshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08242906606942840491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-68522172102953974422011-12-27T21:14:53.050-08:002011-12-27T21:14:53.050-08:00I think you out-testosteroned even me in that comm...I think you out-testosteroned even me in that comment. Well played, sir, well played...<br /><br />Thanks for praise! You should see it, as a pseudo-feminist, I think you would definitely enjoy it. Do not be fooled by the "men who hate women" title.M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-71406138193549894932011-12-25T00:01:36.099-08:002011-12-25T00:01:36.099-08:00Have not seen either film, but this was an epic sm...Have not seen either film, but this was an epic smackdown. Like the Rock vs. John Cena.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04443736284850057306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-75633176317250226732011-12-24T20:51:24.454-08:002011-12-24T20:51:24.454-08:00The Angelika and the Sunshine are great, so I appr...The Angelika and the Sunshine are great, so I approve of both! The first in any trilogy is usually the best--occasionally a few greats break that stereotype, but that's when you first meet and fall in love with the characters. The marriage and honeymoon are great, but will (usually) never quite compare to that initial moment of awesome. <br /><br />And...yeah. Replaying the rape scene? The beauty of it (if you can use the word "beauty") was that it was so powerful in the moment and so hard to watch. Any more than that is just...awkward. I'll consider myself warned. <br /><br />And it's totally cool! I'm apparently an impatient reader. Happy holidays to you too, bro!M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-23402241656860556022011-12-24T20:05:32.313-08:002011-12-24T20:05:32.313-08:00I'm gonna write up the pair eventually. I actu...I'm gonna write up the pair eventually. I actually saw both at the angelika or the sunshine (can't recall), and the 2nd one was good, while the 3rd had some massive, gaping flaws. <br /><br />All in all, a decent trilogy, but it still feels like the first was the best. I was also bothered by the fact that the awful rape in the first story keeps playing out; the same footage keeps popping up in all 3 pictures, and i didn't like having it come up again and again. <br /><br />PS, was lmao as your kind comment today came while I was still changing my review around! Thx for thinking of me on Xmas eve, happy holidays to you and yours!Thaddeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17414047155226211676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-49767591499717305642011-12-24T11:19:46.229-08:002011-12-24T11:19:46.229-08:00I'm kind of with you there--I honestly don'...I'm kind of with you there--I honestly don't understand why we can't just release more foreign films here. We have access to them no matter what, thanks to the good ol' internet, it's not like everyone's in the dark that these other great foreign films exist. But...I was willing to put elitism aside when I saw the badassitry that was the trailer. <br /><br />I agree that Noomi Rapace was cast perfectly in the role, and it's really impossible to top her. Especially, as you said, with made-up, "grungy-chic" Rooney Mara. And I came to the theater ready to hold a grudge against Mara for that. But you know what? Acting-wise, she was great. She put her own spin on the character, giving her a more wild, animal side to her, and I really appreciated that. Granted, they did give her raccoon eyes and kept her pretty most of the time, but...it is what it is. Hollywood. I was just happy to be pleasantly surprised by her performance. <br /><br />And it's an interesting point you made about Lisbeth vs. Mikael--she is definitely the start of the series, no question about it. I mean, the woman's a force of nature. I'm almost curious how that's going to play out if Fincher takes on the rest of the series...would they really be comfortable with giving "big shot" Daniel Craig a passenger seat role? I mean, man's got his own things going on, I think it'd be fine, but I definitely connected a lot more with Mikael over the course of this movie and I'd have a hard time seeing them pushing him entirely to the sidelines. <br /><br />Then again, this all comes from someone who, admittedly, has not seen the rest of the Swedish movies. So I'm going to get my ass into gear with that, then come back and finish this conversation when I actually know what the fuck I'm talking about.M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-17408215065216932282011-12-23T18:01:17.431-08:002011-12-23T18:01:17.431-08:00My reaction has always been: the original foreign ...My reaction has always been: the original foreign film did the job just fine, so there's absolutely no need for a remake - but it was genius to get Fincher as the new director. It seems like my approach has held up with every reviewer I trust, which includes you.<br /><br />I guess maybe my 2nd-biggest problem is that I can't respect the idea of replacing Rapace, a woman I found genuinely unattractive and yet appealing in her role, with Mara. Rooney is obviously attractive and has just been made up to look all "edgy," which feels really cheap.<br /><br />So I respect the fact that the remake is probably fine, while having no desire to actually watch it. If I'm out with some friends, unsober, and everyone wants to check this out, then I'm there. Otherwise, I'm glad that Fincher keeps up his high-quality streak.<br /><br />I'd like to note in closing that this whole story, almost like a first Bond or Indiana Jones film, was clearly made more to introduce our lead character than anything else. <br /><br />It's obviously more Lisbeth than Mikael, in the case of this series, but the point is that we come into the world of this existentialist woman, with her plays-by-her-own-code-which-is-harsh-but-not-evil-or-abusive mentality. She's the ubermensh, really - or uberfraulein, whatever; and that's the real appeal here. <br /><br />While it's still annoying, it makes more sense, then, for marketing purposes, that the novels focus on the dragon tattoo instead of <i>the actual novelist's theme</i> - she's the Sherlock Holmes of all this, and that male reporter is just Watson.Thaddeushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17414047155226211676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-78323830987626977782011-12-23T10:02:34.575-08:002011-12-23T10:02:34.575-08:00Thanks! That was my thought exactly! And the thing...Thanks! That was my thought exactly! And the thing is, Mara surprised me. She does a GOOD job. It's an excellent interpretation of Lisbeth, and it's a lot of fun in her own right. So I commend her. But Rapace will always be Lisbeth to me, and that's nothing about Mara's acting, it's just because I like her version better.M. Hufstaderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08710221415534490058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-449435543689622165.post-78005632551116988502011-12-23T06:51:03.546-08:002011-12-23T06:51:03.546-08:00Still haven't seen Fincher's remake, but I...Still haven't seen Fincher's remake, but I was blown away by the original and Noomi Rapace in particulara. Mara has to work very very hard to top Rapace's darkly mesmerizing performance.<br />Fantastic post!George Beremov [Nebular]https://www.blogger.com/profile/15136154142341512854noreply@blogger.com