Millénium

This packs together the 3 movies into one or rather overall 6 parts - which means each movie becomes a two parter. That is because the running time is also extended for better or worse. And let me again emphasize that I have not read the source material, so I cannot attest to similarities or changes that have been made while transitioning this onto the big (or small) screen, depending on where you watched or will watch this.

The first two parts are really something different and set the tone. And they do not take any prisoners. From that we get the feeling that the two characters that are being highlighted here, also seem to be quite close to each other. And I don't mean sexually (though if you have issues with sex and nudity and all that, the movie will quite frankly really upset you) at all. Though there is some of that too - but I am talking about a spiritual connection. They are different ... really different ... which is why they make a good team.

Talking about sex, there is one scene that goes completely wrong for one of our characters ... the plan was different ... it sort of worked out, but it was not supposed to be as hardcore as it got to be. But that particular scene is more than just haunting! It will deliver ripple effects all through the movie world this created ... up until the end of it all ... For more insight, I reckon you can look up the individual reviews to the movies. And while this sparked a US remake, they only really went after the first movie (or two parts if you count it the way they do it here)!

I confess that I'm not sure what to think, but I believe this series in six episodes is, in fact, the television adaptation of an "extended version" of the three original films of Millennium trilogy. So, basically what I said in the reviews I made for each of the three films is perfectly suited for the respective episodes in this series. So I will try to be brief now.

The plot is well known and follows Lisbeth Salander, an irreverent young woman with a troubled past, strongly marked by instability and a family uprooting, which the series explains and explores. She is a punk, a hacker, has a prodigious memory and will establish an unusual friendship and collaboration with journalist Mikael Blomkvist, an extremely upright man who will be the victim of persecution, right in the first chapters, for telling uncomfortable truths. The first chapters will address a joint investigation that they will both do on a female killer, while the rest of the series will focus on Salander's family and personal past, and how she will fall victim, too, to an attempt at conspiracy at the highest level.

The series is extremely good, as good were the films that are at its origin. However, it is a very uneven series, which starts wonderfully and decreases in quality and interest. The work of director Daniel Alfredson, who directs the first two films, leaves much to be desired when compared to the careful direction of Niels Arden Oplev, who worked on the first film (corresponding to the first two episodes of this series). However, it is worth keeping track of because the story really is intriguing and mysterious enough to keep us stuck until the end.

The cast is equally good, and there are several characters who appear more or less fleetingly. Personally, I would highlight Noomi Rapace's extraordinary interpretation, which brought Lisbeth Salander to life in a way that I think will never be equaled. She is intelligent, sensitive but also provocative, brutal and aggressive when provoked. At his side, in stark contrast, the quiet journalist played by Michael Nyqvist, in an extremely noble and dignified way. I also really liked the work of Lena Endre, who gave life to Erika, editor of Millennium magazine who has a multi-year affair with Blomkvist, and Georgi Staykov, who brought one of the great villains of the series to life in a genuinely threatening way.

At a technical level, the series is a little uneven. The first episodes are extraordinary and everything comes together to create an atmosphere of tension and mystery that works wonderfully. From cinematography to sets and costumes! But from then on, things don't go so well, and it is only in the end that this environment will be recreated again, and in a rather lame way, with all the material suffering from a very un-cinematic appearance. Overall, the sets and costumes are good, and the choice of filming locations worked perfectly. The action scenes invite good visual effects, which almost always worked well. I really liked the initial credits, with all the excellent drawings and graphics, and the way the soundtrack was being used.

As much as I loved the original film adaptation, and I definitely loved that, the six episode Swedish mini-series contains much more information, much more emotional depth and breadth, and is a much more rewarding experience for the viewer.

Even the addition of long slow closeups of Lisbeth Salander are filled with meaning, emotion, and add greatly to our understanding of her character and her history. Noomi Rapace knocked this one right out of the park. Often, her performance was so strong I found myself actually holding my breath.

With the additional scenes, not footage, by the way, actual intended scenes, we get more of the investigations, and that proves ultimately to be so much more rewarding.

The "Millennium Trilogy" may just end up being my all time favorite adaptation of one of my all time favorite series of novels.

An improvement over and already brilliant story. The serialized story benefits greatly its development. So masterful and engaging.

Everytime they changed something from the books, I was a bit dissappointed and sometimes evem frustrated. Also the characters even the main ones fall short to the ones from the book. But when you look at it just as a movie-trilogy it is told in a captivating way, with a good pacing and good actors. The last one was my personal favourite of the three.