A Girl's Right To A Tattoo...

The other day I was passing the press stand and have noticed something that brought some memories back. I saw this month's Vogue...

And you must ask: "So, what?"...


Last year, when I saw a movie made out of the Europe's bestseller "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", I was blown away. It's very hard to impress me with a movie. I grew up watching movies religiously - [thanks for my mom's love for cinematography]. I watched movies from all around the world. At some point I was even obsessed with Bruce Lee movies - [yes, that's right, you've heard me right!] And still, up to this day, I believe that the best 'karate' (martial arts) movie makers are the ones from Asia, mainly - from China. 

Americans can beat them with the computer graphics, but you cannot beat them in the traditional way of training - and filming naturally - in martial arts...So, from a very early age I've been spoiled by the movies from around the world and now, when I go and see a movie, it takes a great script-storyline - basically a plot - and acting as well that would impress me. I'm not big on special effects. Don't get me wrong, I do appreciate them. But I'd rather see a movie, which action revolves about two people sitting in the kitchen and talking, than I'd see a movie with flying UFOs and/or people turning into zombies. The special effects might be impressive, but that's not the genre that makes me think, feel and learn from...

That's why I was rather surprise to find myself liking the Swedish original "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo", directed by Niels Arden Oplev, and not much the other two parts - the sequences...I thought it was the BEST movie I've seen a loooong time:

So, when I learned that Hollywood - [a.k.a. American filmmakers] - decided to do their own version of the film, I was skeptical. I thought -why, WHY ruin such a great film from Swedish filmmakers with Swedish actors based on the Swedish author's book??? It just didn't make any sense - the same as it didn't make any sense when Americans did their versions of War and Peace and Solaris - horrible, horrible, horrible!...Even the actors couldn't save it...

But the other day, when I watched Toast at my regular spot - at the E Street Cinema, where I still get a discount on my 11-year old student ID card - [he, he, he] - I saw the first trailer of the American version of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" and - I couldn't recognize it. I don't know if American director changed the script, or they added some super-cool special effects (not really needed in that movie in the first place as the plot is based more on multiple psycological and mystical factors, not the action) - but I kind of thought, at the same time, that I'd see it - just for the sake to tell my friends later how much it sucked. 

However, there is two things that the American director did right. They were - to cast Daniel Craig [who I'm a big, big fan of...I kind of picture my future boyfriend to be as cool as he is :)] and to cast that girl - GIRL, WHO? - from the Social Network movie. You know her? 

 

Yep, me either -I couldn't recognize her, what a difference from a Harvard preppy student to a tattoo rookie girl?

Well, guess, what? I didn't really pay attention to her in the movie...but, you might change your mind, after this little video-intro by Vogue: introducing the next dragon tattoo girl - Rooney Mara:

I really, really dig it... And it's also refreshing - [and that's what I love Vogue for] - to see a not-well known, fresh face actress on the cover of Vogue...

Oh, yeah, one last thing - do see the original first and then - the American version...see what you like most, and then we talk! I still prefer the original one girl...She was really kicking ass!