Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

I was excited to see this movie.  I hadn't read the book (I am a book club drop-out...long story...), and my boyfriend assured me it was "FANTASTIC!"

Not FIVE minutes into my burger at the Apple Pan he says "by the way, I probably should have told you it's in Swedish."  Now let's get something straight...I like culture.  I was raised on culture.  I give yogurt a run for "culture"...but I don't like subtitles.  They bug me.  I realize I can be thrown out of proper society for admitting this, but it's true.  I can't focus on the story AND the subtitles at the same time...I feel like I miss stuff, and my eyes hurt.   And it's all meaningful glances and artful shots of water.  Exhausting.  It's all just too much work.  And for what? - so I can tell people I saw the latest foreign film...blah, blah, blah...it was riveting."  No thanks.  I'm not embarrassed I liked "Rush Hour".

My enthusiasm wained.

"And it's 2-1/2 hours long..."

Oy.  I took an angry bite of my burger and picked fries from his side of the plate.

But THEN, as we're going up the escalator to the theatre he adds..."Oh...and I should have mentioned, we don't have very good seats.  They're all the way in front."

This was not how I wanted to spend my evening after an entire week with the kids and no help whatsoever.

He assuaged me with a pre-movie trip to Coldstone's and we snuck in our "Like it" in a "Love it" cup.

The demographically unified audience took their seats.   A sea of middle-aged/older well-heeled couples who all looked like they were in the same book club.  

From the first moment of the movie, I was sucked in.  It was FABULOUS! 

I was sucked into the story, and totally transfixed - other than the moments the older men in my row kept getting up to pee.  One stomped on my toe.

The movie is hard to watch and is intensely disturbing, but it's exciting, and suspenseful, and incredibly well-directed.  The tension is really incredible!

I was pleased.  "It's like an American movie with subtitles."

My boyfriend looked at me skeptically.

"Okay...it's like a GOOD American movie with subtitles."

We agreed.  "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" should be seen.

Dare I say it?  It was "Riveting."