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A review of “The Girl Who Played with Fire”

It’s always a pleasant surprise when straight men write really likable and realistic queer female characters. And Stieg Larsson’s ability to create a great character like Lisbeth Salander paired with director Daniel Alfredson’s ability to transition her from the novels to the screen have created a franchise that is not only an international success, but also a breath of fresh air for gay women who long to see themselves accurately represented in pop culture.

While not all of us are hackers with multiple piercings and penchants for spending our lives in general isolation, we can still appreciate a character who is unafraid of her sexuality and is both mentally and physically tough. That is exactly who Lisbeth is, and Noomi Rapace plays her so perfectly that it’s impossible not to get sucked into thinking you’re alongside her in Sweden or wherever else the movie’s mystery takes her. In The Girl Who Played with Fire, there’s much more of Lisbeth. Unfortunately, it’s because she’s a murder suspect, so she has to hide out, escaping police and those who aim to frame or kill her – whichever is easiest to execute first.

When the film opens, Lisbeth has been traveling around the world for about a year. She’s only just returned home after learning that her guardian is being asked for some of Lisbeth’s files. Since she’s a master hacker, she keeps tabs on him and makes sure to pay him a visit (reminding him that she knows exactly what he’s up to at all times). She is able to get her point across with some harsh words and a gun pointed at his head. But when he ends up dead in his bed, along with a reporter and his girlfriend (who is working on a big story about sex trafficking), Lisbeth is framed for the murders. The reporter had worked for Mikael Blomkvist (played by Michael Nyqvist), Lisbeth’s friend/sometimes lover from The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. He knows Lisbeth had nothing to do with the murders, but her prints are on the gun, which was owned by her guardian. Thus begins Mikael’s attempt to clear Lisbeth’s name as she tries to find who wants to have her put away.

The film is intense – especially the scenes of violence. While Lisbeth usually shows mercy on the men she’s dealing with – as in not killing them but forcing them to live with their demons after a swift butt-kicking – the people she is up against believe in torture and attempted murder, even when it comes to Miriam, Lisbeth’s on-and-off girlfriend. Although we caught a glimpse of Miriam in the first film, she has a more significant part in The Girl Who Played With Fire. Lisbeth seeks her out at a bar when she returns to Sweden, and Miriam teases her that Lisbeth is the only person she’s ever known that would come back after not calling for eight months and ask for a roll the sheets.

But Lisbeth doesn’t just want to have sex with Miriam – she’s hoping Miriam will live in her apartment so that she can keep her address. Miriam agrees, but not until they’ve taken to the floor for a hot lovemaking session that never feels forced or faked, or makes viewers feel like they are being voyeuristic. Of course, Miriam is unintentionally put in harm’s way (by being associated with Lisbeth) when the police raid her apartment. The people behind the murders of the reporters attempt to beat information out of her and a boxing instructor who tries to help Mikael find Lisbeth. Don’t misunderstand, though – Miriam is a tough broad, too. But the person she’s up against is almost impossible to take on without a gun. I won’t spoil it for you by telling you any more; I just want to make sure it’s known that Miriam is a skilled boxer and won’t go down without a fight.

But this time, Lisbeth’s romantic relationships are the least of her worries. She’s on her own throughout most of the film, donning blonde wigs or less make-up to blend in and not be found. Her picture is plastered everywhere as the police search for her as a suspect. And, without ruining anything for those of you haven’t seen it yet, this is what makes the film so good.

Lisbeth is a fierce protagonist but she’s not without fault. She accepts that she has done wrong in her past, and she continues to have nightmares about it, even if she’s staying in a plush Caribbean resort suite. She can’t escape who she is, and she doesn’t try. She just wants the truth to be known, and to be able to live her life without the past constantly catching up with her.

But of course, it wouldn’t be such an enticing set of novels or films if Lisbeth’s life were a bore. Luckily for us, she’s maintained her interest in hacking, trailing and riding motorcycles.

If you enjoy the books and the first film, you will certainly like The Girl Who Played with Fire. If you’re not familiar with the series at all, you’ll have no problem getting into the sequel. In fact, I find Lisbeth even more likable this time around. And despite some disparaging remarks from men about how she’s not attractive or how Miriam is “a dyke,” there is never once a discussion about how Lisbeth can’t be a threat because she’s a woman. The late Steigg Larsson’s gift to us was a story revolving around a young woman confident in herself despite the world’s insistence that she’s incompetent and out of control. And so far, Daniel Alfredson and his cast and crew have not let us down with their portrayal of one of the smartest heroines ever shown on film. Her bisexuality is just a plus, especially when she’s able to seduce a woman at the raise of an eyebrow and the offer of a place to stay. As a thriller and an action film, The Girl Who Played with Fire is a winner. And as a film about a woman working through some issues in her life, it comes out on top.

“The Girl Who Played with Fire” is open in select cities now. Enter in a contest to win a trip to Sweden or an iPad at the film’s official website.

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