" The girl with the dragon tattoo "

Year: 2009
Verdict: 9/10
Directed by: Niels Arden Oplev
Suede Title: Män som hatar kvinnor (original title)



I had a copy of this film awhile back already but couldn't find any free time,
this weekend I finally did.

Based on the novel by Stieg Larsson, which is divided into 3 books,
the Swedish version was the first to hit cinema and the author's name instantly
became famous. Unfortunately for the author, he died before he could share his insights to his readers.

Although I haven't watched the Hollywood remake yet played by Daniel Craig,
I think the original one was executed well with a powerful cast and a believable story.




It is a fictional story of a stubborn but determined journalist named Mikael Blomkvist, who works for the newspaper called Millennium.



He became controversial after his failed attempt to exposed a prominent financial buss. man named Wennerstrom.



He was sentenced to jail for slander, but before his arrest, received a call from a lawyer representing a prominent family named Sir Henri Vanger to investigate the disappearance of his niece, Harriet Vangers some 40 years ago.









Sir Henri believes that her disappearance has something to with murder and Mikael is his only hope, as everyone even the police dept. has given up.



With this major task ahead, one girl was as curious to find out this unsolved mystery.
That girl is the punk, young and rebellious Lisbeth Salander.



Tormented by the abused of her father during the childhood and has been and to psychiatric hospitals for sometime.
She relies on a guardian, who she meets from a weekly basis,( i think), to report about her whereabouts and daily life.









She was recently haunted by his new substitute guardian, who has a sadistic tendency, a pervert who sexually and physically abused her.
But Lisbeth is a strong headed girl and a prolific hacker, she doesn't give up easily.



Meanwhile, as she digs deeper into Mikael Blomkvist's case.
she inserts herself into the investigation, thereby, helping the journalist find the truth behind its mystery and Harriet's allegedly number codes written in her journal.





It is a riveting tale of suspense and murder, and a surprising tale of love as well.
A well thought film,
the setting shows us the backdrop of Sweden's dark and peaceful suburb.







It is a film not to be missed, an ending one couldn't imagine.
It gets you inside the mind of a sick serial Nazi rapist killer.







A good ending and an unforgettable twist.

" Solo Quiero Caminar "

Year: 2008
Director: Agustín Díaz Yanes
Verdict: 8/10
English version: Just Walking




Starring : Diego Luna
Elena Araya
Victoria Abril
Ariadna Gil
Pilar Lopez de Ayala





Synopsis:

A story of four women out for revenge and retribution, that would do anything
at all cost
to have a better life and for the sake of camaraderie.



Aurora,in prison for an earlier robbery, while the rest of her friends/gang mates,
Ana, her sister, Gloria and Palom are outside trying to figure out how to set their lives in
proportion, for them, life hasn't been easy.
One is an ex- prostitute who is also the sister of Aurora,
she has accepted a marriage proposal from a Mexican drug leader named Felix.
All seems to good to be true, until she realizes that her husband was a dangerous man,
powerful and would do everything for money.



So, she devised a plan, carefully laid out the details and persuaded her friends,
Paloma and Gloria to rob his office,
but before the big heist can be done, Ana was purposely thrown out
of the car by her husband Felix and was left into a vegetative state.
When Aurora found out about what happened to her sister,
devastated and tormented.
After serving at least 4months in prison.
She was out for revenge to catch a flight heading Mexico.
All seems well, until she met Felix's hit man, the devil's archangel named
Gabriel, played by Diego Luna.



Will the plan go smoothly or will it backfire?








Since Spanish isn't my native language and without the subtitles,
I had to view it twice to understand it better, a bit puzzling,
I thought there were flashbacks every now and then,
I couldn't get it at first till I realized there were none and that it was a fast paced film and
a well plotted story.
I think Diego Luna is without a doubt a charmer in this film, you couldn't get your eyes off him,
even in his dark and macabre character as the assasin,
he still has a soft spot for women. He fell for it.
The women on the other hand played it well too.
Ariadna Gil made you believe like she's the superwoman, the one with all the brains.
Victoria Abril, although a bit old already, still manages to portray her chraracter
as a seemingly doting mother while planning on a heist.
Although, there are some points that would made you re-think, whether or not the girls
could really do it, if they are really that smart to outwit a drug lord, I like the fact,
that it shows how courageous and at the same time, how desperate these women can be.
Although, I doubt what they're really aiming for was revenge, in the end,
it's all about money and greed.




hypnotic soundtrack played by Paco de lucia, ost
and beautiful setting of Mexico and Spain.



watch the trailer here :