“The Girl Who Played With Fire” (2009)

This adaptation of the second book in Steig Larsson’s best selling Millennium trilogy has lessened whatever faith I might have once had in IMDB ratings.  As of time of writing 6,225 international voters collectively give it 6.7, a full point lower than its predecessor “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”.  What do they know?

The first movie was a very solid thriller, introducing Larsson’s alter ego, crusading left-wing journalist Mikael Blomkvist and the titular inked up female, Lisabeth Salander, a bisexual computer hacker-cum-genius with a complicated back story and many chips on her leather-clad shoulders.  The plot had to do with old Swedish Nazis, with Blomkvist employed to solve an ancient murder mystery and acquiring Salander as an assistant and occasional lover.  It was something more than a whodunit but less than a drama, Salander’s shocking treatment by her probation officer and her subsequent revenge upon him the nasty highlights.

In “The Girl Who Played with Fire” Lisabeth assumes centre stage in the story and the results are far more satisfying.  Framed for a pair of murders, she’s on the run, trying to find her enemies before they find her.  Simultaneously Blomkvist also fights to clear her name, discovering more and more about Salander’s past in the process.

There continues to be some silly, James Bondesque elements in play - a blond henchman who cannot feel pain seems to be based on “From Russia With Love”’s Red Grant - but “Fire” also works as a character study, fleshing out the psychology of Salander.

Both films are obviously savage critiques of gender relations in Sweden and the western world in general, reflections on a patriarchy which systematically abuses women.  If “Dragon Tattoo”’s linkage of such abuse to historic fascism felt a little contrived, “Fire”’s referencing of Cold War politics and contemporary prostitution networks rings a lot truer.  While keeping well within the established thriller format Larsson and his adaptors are clearly interested in the connection between the political, the sexual and the personal.

“Fire” offers Noomi Rapace greater scope to develop Lisabeth.  Technically too old for the role as written she nonetheless captures Salander’s enigmatic surface as well as the humanity beneath (an extended lesbian scene helps). Michael Nyqvist’s Blomkvist continues to be solid - his on-again/off-again casual affair with his boss is very amusing in a sophisticated, Scandinavian way - but has correspondingly fewer opportunities.

Best see this one and the two others in the trilogy before the Hollywood remakes.  Even if David Fincher has signed on to do them, something’s bound to get lost in translation.