Despite The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo receiving high praise from critics, especially from myself, MGM is reporting they took a financial loss on the David Fincher product. The studio reports the film performed below expectations and they took a “modest loss.” The studio wanted about 10% higher returns from the film, something they could, and hopefully will, make up in DVD/Blu-ray sales. With this in mind, and how stingy studios are about continuing a franchise they don’t see as extremely lucrative, will this data affect the production of the sequels in the Millennium franchise?

MGM has the choice to co-finance the next two films, with Sony being the second backer, and both state they intend to do bankroll the future projects, but with “better economics.” At the core, this translates to making these films on a cheaper budget. Anyone who knows David Fincher understands the man will not compromise his vision for monetary reasons. He wants his film to be perfect in his eyes — he will not work on a project if he feels he can’t get the financing or means to complete his vision. Fincher does it right. Every time.

Even with both financiers saying they fully intend on making sequels, neither have been green-lit and Fincher has not been officially signed to direct. With this new information, the likelihood of Fincher helming the sequels just got a little smaller. There has been buzz that Fincher could produce and bring another director to finish the series. I hope that’s just rumor, because no one could measure up to what Fincher and his crew accomplished on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.

The best way to hope financing isn’t significantly cut for the future is for the DVD/Blu-ray sales of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to be through the roof. I just bought the Blu-ray Combo Pack and it’s an extraordinary buy. In addition to the Blu-ray and Ultraviolet copies, the package features 4+ hours of bonus features. One thing Fincher and his team do better than most is exclusive and extensive bonus material. I’ve spent quite a bit of time with this bonus disc since last Tuesday. The extras include all facets of completing this project from casting to post production. The cast and crew interviews coupled with the behind the scenes footage really tells the whole tale of how this project came together so perfectly. Why wouldn’t you want to listen to Rooney Mara discuss how she became such a captivating bad-ass heroine?

In short, get out and buy the DVD/Blu-ray if you liked the movie and want two more of these from David Fincher & Co. I know I want Fincher to have the reigns for the next two.

What Do You Think Of This News?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

Well, another year at the Academy Awards marks another year of disappointment for me. I love the idea of awarding the best films and performances of the year, but lately I’ve started to notice that isn’t the case at the biggest awards show on the planet. A big part of that has to do with the demographics of the voting body of the Academy, which is comprised of mostly caucasian (94%) males (77%) with a median age of 62. Only 14% of the voters are under the age of 50. Now, it doesn’t surprise me that stupid Meryl Streep undeservingly won Best Actress for her bland role in The Iron Lady — most of the voters are as old as she is.

I don’t hate Meryl Streep, but I do despise her for winning. Though it isn’t her fault she won over three much more deserving actresses, I can’t as easily express my distaste for the 5,765 Academy voters. So, Streep, you are the scapegoat. She won in a category that featured brilliant performances from women who killed their roles in great films — The Help (76% on RT), The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (87% on RT), and My Week With Marilyn (84% on RT) compared to The Iron Lady (53% on RT). Not that a film’s quality is the determining factor for acting accolades, but it should have strong a influence on the decision.

Viola Davis was strong willed in the emotionally powerful The Help. Michelle Williams played Marilyn Monroe better than anyone has ever done it before — she was so good, I almost forgot I was watching Williams and not the actual starlet from the 1950′s. Rooney Mara, I don’t think I can find words to describe her mesmerizing portrayal of Lisbeth Salander. She cut her hair, got piercings, completely transformed herself to play this unyielding but vulnerable role. Streep essentially played another version of her own old lady persona. I don’t want to take anything away from Margaret Thatcher, but she isn’t the most compelling onscreen character.

Bottom line, take Streep out of The Iron Lady, and have a replacement do the exact same work, play the role the exact same way, and she would not have even been noticed as a nominee. Streep won on her pedigree, which is a disgrace to the other 2012 Best Actress nominees. Sorry ladies. I digress. 

The Artist was the ‘belle of the ball’ as predicted. The film took home statues in many categories including: Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Score… you get the picture. I loved this film, and was glad to see it received recognition. In terms of marking it the best film of 2011, I disagree. I found The Descendants to be a much more powerful piece of cinema, but it’s one opinion against another. And how could we not expect The Artist to win so much? I already told you about the aging voting body, and most of those white males were alive when silent films were the only pictures in cinema. But seriously, The Artist is a fresh idea in what some consider a stale re-hash/remake market. For a film like this to flourish, it obviously isn’t just hype.

One of my favorite winners of the night had to be Jim Rash, Nat Faxon, and Alexander Payne winning Best Adapted Screenplay for The Descendants. The screenplay took the audience on an emotional roller coaster while throwing lighter comedic moments into the fray. Strangely enough, most of you know Jim Rash as Dean Pelton on the hit NBC show Community. Weird to think someone who plays a character as strange as Dean Pelton could co-write such a beautiful screenplay.

I was also glad to see The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo get some love, winning Best Editing. The work of Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall may be familiar to you, as the pair took home the Oscar for Best Editing last year for The Social Network. The pair was also nominated for Oscar gold in the same category for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. Notice a pattern? They are all Fincher products. Fincher obviously has himself a crack team of editors to enhance his already exquisite taste in visual storytelling.

Quickly, I recommend anyone who loves movies to check out The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Lessmore, the winner of Best Animated Short Film. You can watch it here on YouTube, it’s well worth 15 minutes of your time.

Other than that, the night was the typical dragging song and dance the Academy throws up. The procession is watchable, but oftentimes far from entertaining. Billy Crystal works as the host, too bad he doesn’t have better writers to cook up so better material. The highlight of all the presenters was Emma Stone. I love the energy and charisma she oozed on stage in front of her established peers.

Well, that’s all until my 2012 post about the Oscar snubs of this year, and how the Academy is doing a disservice to this actor or director. Our favorites can’t always win, but Meryl Streep can. Who will be next years’ underserving winners?

What Did You Think Of The Oscars?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

This morning the 2012 Oscar nominations were revealed, which of course annually provides both heartbreak and jubilation for those nominated and those snubbed. This year, the Best Picture nomination pool is nine, and not the ten of years past. The nominations were reduced from the ten made standard in 2010, down to however many Best Picture nominees the voting body feels is necessary. This year they felt nine was appropriate, a number I do not agree with. The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was left off the nominee list, as was its director David Fincher. In my opinion, these two headline the snubs this year, along with Steven Spielberg being left out of the nomination for Best Director despite War Horse earning a Best Picture nod. Hit the jump for the full list, and a few brief thoughts from yours truly.

To be honest, I do not understand the award committees not rewarding The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. While I don’t think the film has to win Best Picture, I find it odd that it has rarely been included amongst the Best Picture nominees. It is even harder to comprehend considering award committees tend to lean towards films that tackle difficult to swallow or hard hitting issues — Fincher’s latest has no shortage of rape, incest, domestic abuse, mutilation, and murder. From my stand point, this 2011 version accomplished lightyears more than the 2009 mediocre Swedish take — that alone should merit some recognition. Last year the Best Picture field held ten nominees, why not this year? The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo isn’t deserving? What about Drive? (And what about Ryan Gosling?) What about Martha Marcy May Marlene?

And while my personal bias comes into play here, Fincher not being amongst the Best Directors this year is another disservice to the industry. I challenge any person to watch the original The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and then Fincher’s film and see the distinct difference an experienced and talented filmmaker brings in terms of final product. Fincher killed it on his end, and his work as a storyteller is rivaled by few in the game today — his name should be in the mix. In my opinion, every film nominated for Best Picture should be coupled with the film’s director. Period. If the film is good enough to be nominated for Best Picture, the person who was a central figure, if not the central figure, in molding the acclaimed final product should get due credit. That’s my two cents.

It’s nice to see that Leonard DiCaprio was left off the Best Actor list, as I felt his portrayal in J. Edgar was one of the worst performances of his career (that is still pretty damn good by most standards). His acting felt forced, and I didn’t think he deserved to be included like he was for this year’s Golden Globes. Also getting snubbed in their sophomore effort are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross for their work on… you guessed it, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. The pair won the Oscar last year for The Social Network, and despite composing an amazing score for the film, they were left off the list of nominees. Yet, if you look at the list, John Williams is nominated twice for two different films. I don’t agree with that at all.

I think the category to watch will be Best Actress. Those listening to the podcast know my position on Meryl Streep winning Best Actress at the Golden Globes this year (I was not happy), and now she is up against even more talent with Michelle Williams being added to the mix for her work in My Week With Marilyn. Williams also won at the Globes, but in a different category for actresses (Comedy/Musical). I will get this out of the way now, if Streep wins the Academy Award for Best Actress I will lose faith in all humanity. She is up against Rooney Mara (who should win), Michelle Williams (who also deserves a W), Viola Davis (who could be the dark horse here) and Glenn Close. I really want Mara to win for her total transformation into the dark persona that is Lisbeth Salander, but I’d be fine with Williams or Davis winning. Just not Streep! She shouldn’t get awards in 2012 just because she has had a long and illustrious career.

You can tune into the Oscars Sunday, Feburary 26th. And of course, after the awards show, we will have all our thoughts right here on the Mash.

Best Picture

“The Artist” Thomas Langmann, Producer

“The Descendants” Jim Burke, Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor, Producers

“Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close” Scott Rudin, Producer

“The Help” Brunson Green, Chris Columbus and Michael Barnathan, Producers

“Hugo” Graham King and Martin Scorsese, Producers

“Midnight in Paris” Letty Aronson and Stephen Tenenbaum, Producers

“Moneyball” Michael De Luca, Rachael Horovitz and Brad Pitt, Producers

“The Tree of Life” Nominees to be determined

“War Horse” Steven Spielberg and Kathleen Kennedy, Producers

Actor in a Leading Role

Demián Bichir in “A Better Life”

George Clooney in “The Descendants”

Jean Dujardin in “The Artist”

Gary Oldman in “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”

Brad Pitt in “Moneyball”

Actor in a Supporting Role

Kenneth Branagh in “My Week with Marilyn”

Jonah Hill in “Moneyball”

Nick Nolte in “Warrior”

Christopher Plummer in “Beginners”

Max von Sydow in “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”

Actress in a Leading Role

Glenn Close in “Albert Nobbs”

Viola Davis in “The Help”

Rooney Mara in “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”

Meryl Streep in “The Iron Lady”

Michelle Williams in “My Week with Marilyn”

Actress in a Supporting Role

Bérénice Bejo in “The Artist”

Jessica Chastain in “The Help”

Melissa McCarthy in “Bridesmaids”

Janet McTeer in “Albert Nobbs”

Octavia Spencer in “The Help”

Animated Feature Film

“A Cat in Paris” Alain Gagnol and Jean-Loup Felicioli

“Chico & Rita” Fernando Trueba and Javier Mariscal

“Kung Fu Panda 2″ Jennifer Yuh Nelson

“Puss in Boots” Chris Miller

“Rango” Gore Verbinski

Art Direction

“The Artist” Production Design: Laurence Bennett; Set Decoration: Robert Gould

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Production Design: Stuart Craig; Set Decoration: Stephenie McMillan

“Hugo” Production Design: Dante Ferretti; Set Decoration: Francesca Lo Schiavo

“Midnight in Paris” Production Design: Anne Seibel; Set Decoration: Hélène Dubreuil

“War Horse” Production Design: Rick Carter; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales

Cinematography

“The Artist” Guillaume Schiffman

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Jeff Cronenweth

“Hugo” Robert Richardson

“The Tree of Life” Emmanuel Lubezki

“War Horse” Janusz Kaminski

Costume Design

“Anonymous” Lisy Christl

“The Artist” Mark Bridges

“Hugo” Sandy Powell

“Jane Eyre” Michael O’Connor

“W.E.” Arianne Phillips

Directing

“The Artist” Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Alexander Payne

“Hugo” Martin Scorsese

“Midnight in Paris” Woody Allen

“The Tree of Life” Terrence Malick

Documentary (Feature)

“Hell and Back Again” Danfung Dennis and Mike Lerner

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front” Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman

“Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory” Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs

“Pina” Wim Wenders and Gian-Piero Ringel

“Undefeated” TJ Martin, Dan Lindsay and Richard Middlemas

Documentary (Short Subject)

“The Barber of Birmingham: Foot Soldier of the Civil Rights Movement” Robin Fryday and Gail Dolgin

“God Is the Bigger Elvis” Rebecca Cammisa and Julie Anderson

“Incident in New Baghdad”James Spione

“Saving Face” Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy

“The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom” Lucy Walker and Kira Carstensen

Film Editing

“The Artist” Anne-Sophie Bion and Michel Hazanavicius

“The Descendants” Kevin Tent

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Kirk Baxter and Angus Wall

“Hugo” Thelma Schoonmaker

“Moneyball” Christopher Tellefsen

Foreign Language Film

“Bullhead” Belgium

“Footnote” Israel

“In Darkness” Poland

“Monsieur Lazhar” Canada

“A Separation” Iran

Makeup

“Albert Nobbs” Martial Corneville, Lynn Johnston and Matthew W. Mungle

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Edouard F. Henriques, Gregory Funk and Yolanda Toussieng

“The Iron Lady” Mark Coulier and J. Roy Helland

Music (Original Score)

“The Adventures of Tintin” John Williams

“The Artist” Ludovic Bource

“Hugo” Howard Shore

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Alberto Iglesias

“War Horse” John Williams

Music (Original Song)

“Man or Muppet” from “The Muppets” Music and Lyric by Bret McKenzie

“Real in Rio” from “Rio” Music by Sergio Mendes and Carlinhos Brown Lyric by Siedah Garrett

Short Film (Animated)

“Dimanche/Sunday” Patrick Doyon

“The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg

“La Luna” Enrico Casarosa

“A Morning Stroll” Grant Orchard and Sue Goffe

“Wild Life” Amanda Forbis and Wendy Tilby

Short Film (Live Action)

“Pentecost” Peter McDonald and Eimear O’Kane

“Raju” Max Zähle and Stefan Gieren

“The Shore” Terry George and Oorlagh George

“Time Freak” Andrew Bowler and Gigi Causey

“Tuba Atlantic” Hallvar Witzø

Sound Editing

“Drive” Lon Bender and Victor Ray Ennis

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” Ren Klyce

“Hugo” Philip Stockton and Eugene Gearty

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Ethan Van der Ryn and Erik Aadahl

“War Horse” Richard Hymns and Gary Rydstrom

Sound Mixing

“The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” David Parker, Michael Semanick, Ren Klyce and Bo Persson

“Hugo” Tom Fleischman and John Midgley

“Moneyball” Deb Adair, Ron Bochar, Dave Giammarco and Ed Novick

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Greg P. Russell, Gary Summers, Jeffrey J. Haboush and Peter J. Devlin

“War Horse” Gary Rydstrom, Andy Nelson, Tom Johnson and Stuart Wilson

Visual Effects

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2″ Tim Burke, David Vickery, Greg Butler and John Richardson

“Hugo” Rob Legato, Joss Williams, Ben Grossman and Alex Henning

“Real Steel” Erik Nash, John Rosengrant, Dan Taylor and Swen Gillberg

“Rise of the Planet of the Apes” Joe Letteri, Dan Lemmon, R. Christopher White and Daniel Barrett

“Transformers: Dark of the Moon” Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Matthew Butler and John Frazier

Writing (Adapted Screenplay)

“The Descendants” Screenplay by Alexander Payne and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

“Hugo” Screenplay by John Logan

“The Ides of March” Screenplay by George Clooney & Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon

“Moneyball” Screenplay by Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin. Story by Stan Chervin

“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan

Writing (Original Screenplay)

“The Artist” Written by Michel Hazanavicius

“Bridesmaids” Written by Annie Mumolo & Kristen Wiig

“Margin Call” Written by J.C. Chandor

“Midnight in Paris” Written by Woody Allen

“A Separation” Written by Asghar Farhadi

What Do You Think Of The Nominees?

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

GRADE: A+

After seeing The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo twice now, I walked out of both showings determined that Rooney Mara is my new hero. Her portrayal of Lisbeth Salander is the definition of a character the audience cannot take their eyes off of. Beneath the barely recognizable exterior, Mara brings new levels to an intelligent yet insane character. On the outside her appearance would push most away — but after getting to know Lisbeth for two hours I was captivated by her every move. The hype surrounding this film is justified in every regard. Mara alone makes it worth its weight in gold, but she is just one piece of the perfectly crafted puzzle.

I will start by giving my background with the series since many know it so intimately. I became aware of it all when the Swedish movies were coming out, but never found time to read the books or watch the foreign versions. The series really hit my radar when word of an American remake hit the web. I was shocked to see an American version coming in 2011 when the Swedish version dropped in 2009.

Before I found time to sit down to watch the Noomi Rapace take or read the books, I got word that David Fincher would be taking the series on. At that point I made a conscious decision to wait and see his interpretation first. Fincher is my favorite director and I wanted to see his film with no expectations and no previous version to compare to his. I wanted my first impression to be Fincher’s take, and then to compare from there. I’m glad I did.

With no background knowledge on this series, I left The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo blown away. I could not believe how far this film descended into darkness. It had some extremely graphic material, scenes so hard to watch, that a lady in front of me got up and left. Each scene that was hard to swallow had a distinct purpose however — these pieces acted as motivation for the troubled characters, especially Lisbeth.

After seeing the Fincher take twice, I finally sat down to watch the Swedish original — there is a reason Fincher and screenwriter Steven Zaillian remade this film so quickly. They saw the raw product and knew they could make a better one. Mission accomplished. Fincher’s version is better in every facet. Even Mara outshines Noomi Rapace’s work as Lisbeth. I’ll save breaking down why the 2011 version is superior than the 2009 version for another post.

I’ll start my praise by saying that Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara are at the top of their game and their developing chemistry throughout the film is fun to watch. The tag team is set to solve the mystery of the missing girl. Both play off the others’ strengths. She is a gifted researcher, he has the leadership and oversight to lead them towards solving the case.

The award committees would be crazy not to include Mara among the list of Best Actress nominees. Similar consideration should be given to Craig — though I doubt he will get any. Another actor deserving an entire paragraph of compliments for playing an extremely deceptive character is Stellan Skarsgård.

The foremost reasons the film was a raging success was the brilliant work of David Fincher directing and Steven Zaillian adapting the screenplay. With a series that is already so well known, it is obviously difficult to create something that stands out with some originality — Zaillian especially had his work cut out for him with a book and an original movie both having huge success. Zaillian and Fincher together put their own unique stamp on this film. Fincher is truly an expert in his craft — this is proven by the way he unravels the narrative in his films, the nuances he uses within the scene to divulge character secrets, the depth of the dark colors within the frame in his films, and especially the tension he weaves throughout his thrillers to keep the audience on edge.

One distinct difference I noticed in the two The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo films is the occurrence of events and even the addition of some. I felt all the changes made the 2011 film an improved effort — especially the dialogue, which oftentimes perfectly expressed character emotions as well as my own.

Jumping off the comparison wagon, Zaillian set a fast pace fairly early, building new intrigue as he slowly unveiled new details and plot points. He did an excellent job establishing the characters and their relationships to one another — considering the size of the Vangard family, that was no cakewalk.

Another huge plus in this film is the work of Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The pair worked with Fincher on the 2010 hit The Social Network, and brought home Oscar gold for their efforts. Why wouldn’t Fincher re-team with the duo? Their work perfectly accentuates Fincher’s dark images and the even darker storyline. Their soundtrack isn’t something many would listen to on their iPod, but when the music is coupled with the images, it’s like a perfectly synchronized dancing couple.

Overall, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was much better than I could have ever dreamed. Despite all the praise I’d heard about the series, I never thought it could be this good. I’ve spent the last weeks thinking about this film and mulling over Mara and her dynamic performance. I’ve also been telling anyone who will listen to get out and see it — Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol should not be winning the box office.

Fincher is one of the best filmmakers in the game today. The people he puts around him in production rival his expertise and this shows in the final product. A yearning to learn more about the characters and to solve the mystery rarely allow this 2+ hour thriller to release its grasp on your interest.

What Should You Do? If you can stomach two meaningful graphic scenes within the whole, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo deserves your money at the theater.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @matthewdeery

I have not see The Tree of Life yet. I know, I know. It’s only playing at the Lagoon theater in Uptown here in good ‘ol Minneapolis. Rest assured, I AM GOING to see this film. While it’s not sitting at a staggering 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. It is resting comfortably with an impressive 87% fresh rating. It won top prize at Cannes. And from the footage I’ve seen and reviews I’ve read, it is quite the visually poetic film that will either make you change the way you look at  movies, or turn your head up in cynicism at the pretention everyone seems to be gushing about. Probably the two best directors working today, Christopher Nolan and David Fincher, feel the former is true, and sat down to discuss their love and admiration for The Tree of Life, and more specifically, it’s director Terrance Malick. It’s always awesome to hear masters of craft discuss the work of those who inspire them. Check it out after the break.

What I found particularly interesting was Nolan’s claim of Malick’s work being “immediately recognizable.” And you can tell that they have been influenced by Malick in that regard because that immediate visual/style recognition is completely applicable to both Nolan and Fincher. They have such unique color tones, camera angles and movement that you know “This is a Nolan” or “This is a Fincher.” Anyway, check out the video below. The Tree of Life is now playing in select theaters.

[via Slashfilm]

What Do You Think? Discuss.

This trailer only played before select screenings around the world this past weekend, but thanks to the wonder of the internet, a pirated version has surfaced online. In the film community, this film is highly anticipated. So this trailer coming out, especially in this fashion, is a big deal. A handycam version before an official release from the studio? Hit the jump to check it out.

UPDATE: The official, HD version is now available for your viewing pleasure.

This version of The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is a remake of the Swedish original that came out just two years ago. As some know, European and American audiences have very different tastes. Figuring they had a solid story, but not enough bankable faces and probably not the right storytelling for American audiences, Sony set out to remake a film that was still in theaters at the time of the decision. Attach the great David Fincher as director, and a cast of Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, and Christoper Plumber, and these are the intangibles the studio was looking to enhance.

You can see this trailer is from a recording device in the theater, and is in no way official. The most surprising thing is that this trailer is still online. Usually studios take content like this down from YouTube for copyright infringement. But the trailer is still up, so is this an “official leak” of the trailer? Many say no because Fincher likes to make a splash with his trailers, only officially debuting them on Apple. Who knows what is going on? The official trailer is said to be out shortly, but this rough version should hold you over. Enjoy.

Pretty sweet right? I have not seen the European version of this film, or either of the sequels, or read any of the books. All I have to say is, ‘You have my attention.’ Fincher is by far my favorite filmmaker, and his name alone is enough to put me in the theater seats. Right after his smashing success The Social Network, Fincher would have to feel passionately about this project to just jump right in. It must have a stellar script. The man doesn’t make bad cinema — see Fight Club, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Zodiac, Seven, The Game, or Panic Room. Following me now? Also good news for any fan of The Social Network is word that Academy Award Winning Composer Trent Reznor (sounds a little weird right?) will be re-teaming with Fincher for The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. Now all I need to do is get to watching the European version before this December.

Synopsis From Slashfilm:

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was first an international best-seller by Stieg Larsson which was then adapted into a hit Swedish movie directed by Niels Arden Oplev. The story centers on an investigative journalist named Mikael Blomkvist who is hired to bring closure to a long gestating missing person’s case. While investigating the case, he runs into Lisbeth Salander, the girl of the title, who has a terrible guardian and a penchant for hacking, among other things. Together Blomkvist and Salander team up to solve the mystery. The film launched the careers of Michael Nyqvist and Noomi Rapace, who will soon be appearing in big Hollywood films like Mission Impossible Ghost Protocol and Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows among others.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo hits theaters this December 21st.

Does This Trailer Grab Your Attention?

Many of you checked out The Social Network this fall and were exposed to an amazing story told by screenwriter Aaron Sorkin and director David Fincher. If you haven’t seen The Social Network, you need to get out and do so; it is one of the best movies of the year. Those who saw the movie and are interested in film production or behind the scenes footage, the videos in this article are right up your alley. Even if you are not an aspiring filmmaker, the tedious steps of film production never resemble the smooth simplicity of a movie when it is ready for viewing audiences. Seeing what goes on behind the camera can help viewers to appreciate the difficulties of filmmaking. Hit the jump to check the videos out.

In the video review Sarah and I did for The Social Network, we commented on the brilliance of the loud nightclub scene. In the videos you can see the nightclub was not loud at all during filming, and the reverberating music was added in post production. The setup before each scene and the filming of many sequences are shown in the videos profiling the amount of work that goes into getting a shot filmed in a big budget movie. Aspiring to be in the film industry myself, I loved these videos. Without further delay, check out the magic David Fincher weaves to piece his films together.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

It’s gone on record hundreds of times since I started this blog that Christopher Nolan is hands down my favorite filmmaker. But coming in a close second is the great David Fincher. Yes, his newest brilliant film, The Social Network, is a universally acclaimed Oscar contender. But I fell in love with Fincher’s unique and mesmerizing visual style way back in 1995 with Se7en. He then went on to make some of my favorite films, all of which I own: The Game, Fight Club, Panic Room, Zodiac and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. So I found this compilation tribute video, created by the folks at JoBlo titled The Art of David Fincher, to be particularly awesome. Check out the video after the break.

The video is brilliantly edited, featuring a badass/tear-jerking soundtrack (including some of the Inception OST greatest hits). Anyway, check out The Art of David Fincher below, and for God sakes, go see The Social Network.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

In my movie production classes at the University of Minnesota I was trained how to look for those subtle details which contribute to scene building aesthetics. While some of these background mechanics might not make sense to all but a few rabid movie connoisseurs, I still think it is a good read and might help you catch some of the finer nuances of the craft as you watch. I’m offering this piece because I love to examine key dynamics in powerful scenes in great film. One movie I have a passion for and have seen more times than I can count is The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I personally think it is David Fincher’s crown jewel, but that can be debated.

The plot depicts Benjamin’s unique condition where a person ages backwards. The film opens with Benjamin’s birth on the last day of the Great War and ends with his death close to the new millennium. This tale is fundamentally a love story between Benjamin and a female he has known his entire life named Daisy. After flirting with the idea of being together for years, Benjamin and Daisy finally end up as a loving couple. The particular scene I am going to analyze is when Benjamin and Daisy are in a hotel bed together discussing how things in life never stay the same as a thunderstorm rages outside. This scene is one of my favorites (it’s hard to choose when there are so many great ones) and one that has many applied aesthetics to be discussed.

First on the menu is the lighting. The lighting director used a method called chiaroscuro to add to the drama of the scene. The chiaroscuro lighting in this scene emphasizes organic (everything looks natural) and emotional aesthetic functions. The emotional function is especially important as it shows the love these two have for each other. The overall lighting for the scene is low key and selective. The single light source is especially apparent and effective when the characters turn their faces away from the light showing the source is highly directional. This single light illuminates parts in the scene like the bed and characters while leaving the background purposely darker. The low key lighting causes faster falloff on the characters’ faces. This helps define the texture in their faces; especially the wrinkles on Daisy’s face. This is particularly significant as they are discussing how she only has two wrinkles.

The single light source is from a bedside table giving off warm yellowish-orange lighting to the bed. The light illuminating the bed creates a sense of calm and desaturates the colors the lamp touches. The desaturating effect from the lamp makes the colors seem dull or bland and help convey a sense of tranquility. The dark, saturated cool colors around the windows, door, and edge of the room convey energy and intensity which is heightened by the pounding thunderstorm. The lightning from the thunderstorm is used as a dramatic agent to intensify the chaos outside and emphasize the calm these two lovers share together, sheltered from the storm’s wrath. The warm colors surrounding the bed invite the viewer into the characters affection for each other.

Another beautiful aesthetic is the perfected use of sound. As the scene starts, the audience can hear the sound of the rain on the roof and the thunder booming in the distance. As the dialogue picks up, the rain remains, but effectively slips to the background allowing focus to shift to the character’s exchange.  As the couple continues their discussion of the uncertainty of the future, the storm continues to rage. The use of a sound bridge is used to help the editing appear seamless. The thunder clashes as the shot switches from the characters to the door and windows being rattled by the whipping wind. The shot then cuts back to the characters with the sound of the whipping wind bridging the changed shot. The sound decays as the camera moves closer to the characters and away from the storm. It is almost as if the characters cannot hear the sound of the loud thunderstorm when they are lost in each others’ embrace.

This is accentuated as the shot leaves the comfort of the bed to the banging door and the storm thundering with authority. After the shot flashes back to the bed and its inhabitants, the melody of the score begins to overwhelm even the storm but not the characters continuing conversation. Their dialogue concerning the uncertain future is symbolized by the outside thunderstorm. The two are perfect in bed with each other, but the storm outside represents the future and all its unpredictability. Benjamin says, “Nothing lasts,” to which Daisy responds, “Some things last.” The piano melody is soft as the characters begin to embrace. I think this shows certainty in their love and that whatever the future brings these two will always have each other.

The last concept I am going to highlight are the vectors in the scene. The characters looking into each others’ eyes as they talk is an example of an index vector. The characters’ index vectors are telling the audience where to look. These vectors are acting as a force to pull the audience’s attention into the characters gazing into the others’ eyes.

Daisy then moves and lies on top of Benjamin’s back as he gazes into the distance. Daisy is looking directly down at him as he is thoughtfully pondering how “nothing lasts.” My eyes are draw to Benjamin because Daisy’s index vector draws me to his thoughts even though he is staring off camera. The scene also features graphic vectors. The graphic vector that stood out to me most is the horizontal lines of the bed (though the bed does have vertical bed posts). The characters are lying on the mattress immediately drawing my eyes to the horizontal graphic vector they rest on, and then the characters themselves. Along with the warm hues and soft music, this horizontal vector also gives off a calm feeling surrounding the bed.

This film is full of beautiful aesthetics distinguishing it as one of the best of 2009. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is some of David Fincher’s best work as a director. The same can be said for Cate Blanchett and Brad Pitt and their acting performances. I could discuss this movie at length all day long, which is why it is one of my all time favorite movies.

Check out my full review of the film here.

What Do You Think? Discuss.

Probably not. But when she posted a picture on her website a few days ago showing off her recently super short new hairdo, the gossip rags went k-a-raazy speculating that she did so because she intended to audition for David Fincher’s American remake of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo; which is of course based on the original Swedish film from last year, which is of course based on the worldwide book series phenomenon. More on that Dragon Tattoo after the break, but first…

Many young actresses have been rumored for the lead role of Lisbeth Salander, from Ellen Page to Emily Browning, but no casting has been confirmed other than Daniel Craig and Robin Wright. I have not read the book yet, nor seen the original Swedish version of the film, but the Salander character is described as “gritty” and “tough as nails,” a major shift in acting demand from the sweet Hermione Granger role she’s played in the Harry Potter films over the last decade. But all of this appears to be a wild goose chase, as representatives for Watson quickly dismissed the rumor, saying it’s “absolutely false on all accounts.” That doesn’t necessarily mean that Watson would never be considered for the role, as dismissing casting rumors is a daily task for Hollywood publicists and agents, but for now, it looks like we’ll have to wait for an official casting announcement.

David Fincher’s The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is currently in pre-production, with a release date set for sometime in 2011.

[Sources: Cinematical, Collider]

What Do You Think? Discuss.