REVIEW: "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"

Still from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Although I never thought much of Niels Arden Oplev's original Adaptation of Stieg Larsson's international Bestseller The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, I am a huge Fan of David Fincher's interpretation of it.

This first installment in the Trilogy-to-come centers around an unlikely Duo brought together by a family Mystery haunting wealthy Swedes The Vangers for well-over 40 years. Shamed Journalist Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is called upon by Henrik Vanger (Christopher Plummer) to solve the mystery behind the presumed murder of his beloved Niece Harriet. After reaching a roadblock in his investigation, he is connected with volatile 23 year-old Computer Hacker-for-hire Lisbeth Salander (Rooney Mara). Coincidentally, she also is the same Hacker who was enlisted to investigate Mikael amidst his own controversy.

As Mikael and Lisbeth continue their fact-finding, they begin unraveling some deep, dark secrets about the Vanger Family never before brought to light and we realize that danger is ever-imminent as they are being watched by someone closer to home than originally believed.

ROONEY MARA ON "LIVE! WITH KELLY"

Still from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Rooney Mara is pretty much on the verge is something huge with David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. The 26 year-old New Yorker appeared a bit green on the interviewing, telling Kelly Ripa on Live! With Kelly five important things you need to know about the Girl who plays Lisbeth Salander:

• Mara had five piercings done at once in preparation for her role, some which she says are "under her shirt" and "cannot be mentioned on Daytime Television"; her nose was not pierced.  As more filming is forthcoming for additional installments of the Stieg Larsson Trilogy, she has decided to keep her piercings in.
• In real life, Mara has no tattoos
• To develop an authentic Swedish accent, she worked with a Coach two hours a day before Filming began

"THE NEW YORK TIMES" BEST PERFORMERS OF 2011 PORTRAITS

Viola Davis

One of the things I look forward to most is The New York Times' Photos of the Best Cinematic Performers of the Year released every December at the onset of Awards Season. This year though they try a little something different, shooting short Vignettes of these Actors and Actresses as famous villainous Horror Icons; self-taught Photographer Alex Prager helms. Pretty bloody terrifying, pretty bloody brilliant.

Talent like Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Rooney Mara, Mia Wasikowska, Rooney Mara, Jessica Chastain, Gary Oldman, Kirsten Dunst, Glenn Close, Ryan Gosling and more took part. Viola Davis' Vignette hands-down is my favourite.  Watch a Ladybug practically go up her nose  and into her eyes without even a flinch.  Now that's focus!

Check out some Photos below:

"THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO" EMBARGO CONTROVERSY

Still from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

He went ahead and done that! After much controversy this weekend over his Review of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The New Yorker's David Denby went ahead and violated Sony Pictures' request to adhere to a Media Embargo for the Film until Tuesday, December 13, 2011.

What is an Embargo you ask? Essentially it is an agreement on the Movie Reviewer's part  (I hate the word "ban") to not post their Comments on the Film before a set date by the Studio. As often is the case, the Reviewer gets to see the Film up to months before it actually gets  a release. This ensures that the Studio has full control over its Marketing and Publicity, allowing all Reviews to surface when interest in the Film is optimal - around its actual Release Date. Also it keeps things fair for Publications as one won't beat the other to the punch with an unfair disadvantage of posting the Review earlier, even though several publications like Variety, for example consistently get the Exclusives first often.

ASHLEY & MARY KATE OLSEN TOP "BEST DRESSED SIBLINGS" POLL IN "VOGUE"

December 2011 Issue of Vogue

Vogue's December Issue will be hitting Newsstands next Tuesday and this time around they're pitting Siblings against Siblings in the Wars on Fashion. Coming out on-top of the Poll are Twins Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen as the Best Dressed Siblings in the Issue titled "The Best Dressed Issue".

Other famous Siblings to get recognition include: Rooney & Kate Mara, Lily & Ruby Aldridge, Kate & Pippa Middleton, Beyoncé & Solange Knowles.

Click here to see who else made the List!

(Photo credit: Vogue)

NEW TRAILER FOR "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"

Official Poster for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Christmas can't come soon enough. A new 3:48 minute Trailer has surfaced for David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and does this ever look good... and rather faithful to the original Swedish Film.  I'm v. excited at Rooney Mara's Oscar prospects in a wide-open race still at this point for Best Actress. 

See the Trailer in full below:

(Photo/video credit: Sony Pictures)

NEW CHARACTER PHOTOS FROM "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"

  The Principal Cast of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

These striking new Character Photos have been released for Sony Pictures’ The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, due December 21, 2011. Complete with Bios for each Character, the Movie’s Official Website has been given a fresh new Makeover.  Seen above (Top to Bottom/Left to Right) are: Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer and Robin Wright. 

Check out all the Photos here.  

This is going to make Rooney Mara a huge star.  Brace yourselves.

(Photo credit: Sony Pictures)

NEW NSFW VERSION OF "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO" POSTER

They're going all the way with the edge factor!  A new Poster for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo has been unleashed and you won't believe your eyes.  Did Rooney Mara really pierce her nipples for the role of Lisbeth Salander?  I'm speechless.  I haven't even seen a proper Clip of the Movie and I'm already convinced we have a Best Actress caliber performance for the Oscars next year. She's totally owning it.

And if she weren't commanding enough, did you even bother to notice Daniel Craig as Mikael Blomkvist? Me neither.

Sony Pictures releases The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo this Christmas and here's a link to the NSFW version of the Poster. 

"THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO" TRAILER LEAKED

Rooney Mara

Although I honestly didn't think much of the original Film Adaptation of the late Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, this U.S. Adaptation from Director David Fincher looks astounding!  Edgy, vicious, scary and dangerous, this is going to make Rooney Mara a Mega-Star - the next Natalie Portman. It is being marketed as "The Feel-Bad Movie of the Year".

See this leaked Trailer for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, out this Christmas from Sony Pictures:

ROONEY MARA & DAVID FINCHER IN FEBRUARY'S "W" MAGAZINE

Rooney Mara in W Magazine

Early favourite for Best Director at February’s Oscars, David Fincher sits down with W Magazine’s Lynn Hirschberg and chats about his celebrated career in next month's Issue. Looking back at some of his more important Films, Fincher feels that The Social Network stands as a “Movie” in his books, not a “Film”. 2007’s Zodiac however was a real “Film” according to the Director in that "it was about murders that changed America. After the Zodiac killings in California, the Summer of Love was over. Suddenly, there was no more weed or pussy. People were hog-tied and died. No one died during the creation of Facebook. By my estimation, the person who made out the worst in the creation of Facebook still made more than 30 million dollars. And no one was killed.”.  He might have a point there.

Although Fincher doesn’t get photographed, we do get a sneak peek at The Social Network Star Rooney Mara’s dark transformation as Lisbeth Salander in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which re-teams the Actress with Fincher.  The Film is now in Post-Production. 

"THE SOCIAL NETWORK" SET FOR JANUARY 11, 2011 RELEASE

The Social Network DVD

Mark your calendars!  Timed perfectly for the Oscars voting period, David Fincher's The Social Network will see a DVD release here in North America on January 11, 2011 via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment.  The current frontrunner in the race for Best Picture follows a strategy similar to that of Paul Haggis' Crash, which was released theatrically ahead of Awards season and timed also with a DVD release right around the crucial voting period.  The Film went on to win Best Picture in 2006 over favoured Brokeback Mountain (Ang Lee).

The Social Network's release mid-January would be beneficial in numerous ways in that all the buzz it is getting right now will be great of Sales and Rentals of the Film.  At the same time, the frequent advertising and mentioning of its release would aid in its cause for staying visible in the 6,000+ Academy Voters' collective consciousness.

Crafty/sneaky or whatever you like to call it - I'm so up for owning this one on DVD.  Can't wait to watch the abundance of Featurettes on the Two-Disc edition of the DVD, including a full-length Documentary about the making of the The Social Network, its Scoring and Commentary with Fincher & Cast.

DANIEL CRAIG AND ROONEY MARA IN STOCKHOLM FILMING "THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO"

Daniel Craig filming in Stockholm

Oh yeah. As many of us know, David Fincher's U.S. adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is filming already in Stockholm, Sweden and our favourite hunk Daniel Craig is starring in the film.  For those of you who have seen the original Swedish version of the film, you'll know disappointingly that the character Craig plays, disgraced journalist Mikael Blomkvist, is clothed for most of the film. Bummer.

All eyes right now however on the movie's female lead Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander, who steps up to the physically demanding role in three instalments. Mara got lots of exposure this weekend in Fincher's The Social Network which not only debuted at number one at the Box Office, but continues to perform strongly, slaughtering the competition even based on Monday and Tuesday's numbers. Mara's big sister Kate appears briefly in Danny Boyle's 127 Hours which recount's mountain climber Aron Ralston's hours stuck in a cave under a boulder.

To see more candids of Craig in Sweden, click here.

(Photo credit: Fredrik Sandberg/Scanpix)

THE SOCIAL NETWORK REVIEW

Although I was a bit devastated that David Fincher's (Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) The Social Network didn't do the rounds at TIFF this year, it was just as rewarding attending an advanced screening of it and I can say that it very much lives up to the hype surrounding it.  

The story criss-crosses different stages of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's hands-on and meticulous involvement in the crafting of the world's favourite social networking website up to his  documented legal battles over the legitimacy of his title as its Founder. Turning Facebook into the $25 billion empire that it is today did not come without its share of Drama.  The limits of true friendship and loyalty are put to the most rigorous test when fortune divides best friends Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).  Zuckerberg's integrity also is challenged further with  wealthy twins Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer and Josh Pence) fighting for an entitlement to the fortune in having commissioned him to assist in the creation of a project which wound up spiraling and veering off into the opus of Facebook as we know it.