First thoughts on a controversial remake: Ali Karim talks The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Later this month, the English-language Hollywood remake of the outstanding Swedish film adaptation of Stieg Larsson's juggernaut bestseller THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO opens in cinemas.

Crime fiction fans around the world seem to have very mixed feelings about this latest Hollywood effort to cash in on foreign creativity, and make it more accessible/palatable for a wider (ie American) audience who perhaps aren't too keen on subtitled films, no matter how good.

Will Rooney Mara be able to provide a performance as Lisbeth Salander in the same league as Noomi Rapace, who set the bar so very high and seemed to embody Larsson's creation? Does the fact that terrific director David Fincher is involved give sceptics more hope than if other Hollywood heavyweights had been involved? Ditto for screenwriter Steve Zaillian? We'll all just have to wait and see.

Unless, that is, we were lucky enough to attend the world premiere in London this week. Like renowned crime fiction afficianado and commentator Ali Karim, who has written and edited for the likes of The Rap Sheet, Shots! ezine, January magazine, Crimespree magazine, and many other specialist crime fiction publications. People think I've interviewed a tonne of crime writers, but I've got nothing on Mr Karim, who has been at the forefront of crime fiction commentating for many years.

Now, Karim has shared his thoughts on the English-language remake on The Rap Sheet:

"Let me say that I enjoyed the original Swedish version directed by Niels Arden Oplev, so I was intrigued to see what the Americans might accomplish with the same material. I was not disappointed, as this new version is, in a word, mesmerizing."

Karim has much more to say about the film, and you can read his full review here.

So, are you looking forward to seeing a new version of Larrson's blockbuster? Comments welcome.

Introducing your new Lisbeth Salander...

The latest issue of W magazine has actress Rooney Mara in full Lisbeth Salander mode on the cover, as part of a large feature on the upcoming David Fincher English-language adaptation of Stieg Larsson's worldwide phenomena of a book/series. As W magazine says in the introduction to its "exclusive first look from the set of the year's most anticipated film", Fincher, "the darkly obsessive director" of Fight Club and The Social Network - perhaps last years biggest or best film - has now taken on "the biggest franchise since Harry Potter".

Internationally, Rooney may be facing something of an uphill battle as Salander (given that Noomi Rapace was so pitch-perfect brilliant in the role in the Swedish-language films), but for American audiences (in particular) who may not have bothered with the subtitled films, the photos from the latest issue of W show that there is perhaps quite some potential there. And with David Fincher (FIGHT CLUB, THE SOCIAL NETWORK, etc) at the helm, things may not be so bleak for the film as those in the anti-remake camp may have it.

You can see a 9-picture slideshow of Mara in Salander mode on the W magazine website here. You can also read the interesting full article by W magazine's Lynn Hirschberg here.

Hat tip to Jeff Pierce of the excellent The Rap Sheet for the heads-up.

What do you think? Are you looking forward to the English-language version?

'The Girl' who won an Oscar?

Reports are filtering out of Hollywood that there is some growing talk of Swedish actress Noomi Rapace, who expertly plays Lisbeth Salander in the Swedish-language films of Stieg Larsson's Millennium Trilogy books (pictured in character, right), being put forward for an Oscar nomination.

As reported by Deadline and Hollywood News, the first film - Män som hatar kvinnor (aka the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) - is apparently eligible for next year's Oscars as it was released for a qualifying run in a Los Angeles County theater in March. You can read my review of the film here.

As I said last December, "In terms of acting, I thought Noomi Rapace was brilliant as Lisbeth Salander. She conveyed the computer hacker’s conflict, confusion, anger, and uniqueness (amongst other things) exceptionally well through glances, gestures, and other non-speaking moments – not just scripted dialogue. Like the best performances, I never saw it as someone acting as Lisbeth Salander, rather Rapace was Lisbeth Salander. "

Honestly, I can't think of a female acting performance in a film in the past year, that I've seen, that comes close to Rapace as Salander. If she is indeed eligible, it would be absolute travesty if the Academy overlooked her for a nomination.

However, already there is all sorts of online chatter about whether some Hollywood power brokers and big studio Sony Pictures might try to quash such a move (or ensure Rapace wouldn't win, even if she was nominated), as it could potentially undermine their own attempts to bring their English-language versions of the films to the big screen. All fun and games eh?

Rapace (pictured left, in her real life 'non-Lisbeth' mode) has already won the Swedish equivalent of the Oscar for playing Salander, and is quite the up and coming young actress in general.

She is reportedly currently in Hollywood, and having talks with various studios about her film career. She is rumoured to be in the running for roles in films such as Mission Impossible 4, and the Sherlock Holmes sequel.

Whether she is (deservedly) nominated for the Oscar or not, Rapace has certainly left some pretty big shoes to fill for the actress that takes on the Lisbeth role in David Fincher's remake - which as of this week is reportedly Rooney Mara, "a virtually unknown actress whose profile is so low that even her age is being hotly debated (she is, depending on who you believe, either 24 or 25)".

"In landing top billing in the film, which will open next Christmas, Mara beat off competition from an extraordinary array of stars. Everyone from Scarlett Johansson and Natalie Portman to Carey Mulligan and Emma Watson has featured on the list of names being tipped for the job," reported the New Zealand Herald two days ago. "Mia Wasikowska, the protagonist in Tim Burton's recent Alice in Wonderland, was among the final half-dozen contenders, though she did not sign a test-screening deal. Four finalists are understood to have spent recent weeks in auditions with the film's director, David Fincher, who will begin shooting on location in Sweden next month."

So, what do you think of Noomi Rapace being talked about for an Oscar nomination? Of young Rooney Mara taking on the role for Fincher's version? Of the Hollywood remake in general? Thoughts and comments welcome.