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So, yeah.

Ok, we know we know.  We are supposed to be actually watching movies and reviewing them.  But recently, we've been so busy that we don't have time! 
  She Said (that's me!) got a new job and is working all the time.  He Said is still working and has met someone who consumes most of his time.  Yeah, from now on, it's gonna be sparse folks!  Sorry.  We will still update and He Said is taking this new woman he won't stop talking about!  Sheesh!  to see some movie next week, he should be writing about that.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Alright, I've introduced the cast, and they are all the same again here.  This is the final movie in the Millenium series.  If you have seen number two, you know if ended on a cliffhanger.  Lisbeth was nearly killed and Micke found her just in time.  Her wicked father lay in the barn with the ax in his leg and her serial killer brother had escaped.  This film picks up immediately where number two ended.  Lisbeth is taken to the hospital to have the bullet removed and she has to stay there to recover.  Knowing how private she is, this drives her nearly mad.  She also gets word that she will have to appear in court to explain her nearly killing her father.  Meanwhile, Micke and his crew are writing an exclusive on Lisbeth so people can know about her troubled childhood and why she attacked her father. 
  This time around, the movie is a blend of thriller and courtroom drama.  Someone is threatening the Millenium crew and attempting to stop them from writing anything about Lisbeth.  Also, they are trying to kill Lisbeth (poor girl is always being targeted!).  While all this is happening, Lisbeth is stuck in bed, ratcheting up the tension. 
  This film worked and I was so happy that they made up for the mistakes of the last one.  Seeing Lisbeth confined in a bed makes you feel claustrophic for her.  Micke is working under the gun to get the magazine out before he is killed.  Twist and turns abound and revelations are given as the conclusion is in sight. The action is fast paced and the courtroom drama is well done. 
  Again for those concerned with content (if you've made it this far though...) there is some language and the violence is there.  There is very brief nonsexual nudity. 
  This film brought it back to what made Dragon Tattoo so good.  A full 4 out of 4 for The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest.

The Girl Who Played With Fire

So, I held off on reviewing this movie for a while simply because of the fact that this film is really just set up for the third and final film.  More on that later.  Warning: This review is only for those who have seen film one.  If not, this contains spoilers, you have been warned.
  The Girl Who Played With Fire reunites Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander and Michael Nyqvist as Mickael Blomkvist.  This film is set a year after Dragon Tattoo and we find that Millenium is still running as a magazine and that Lisbeth is settled back at work.  They have not spoken since the tragic events of the first film. 
  Micke is investigating a sex-trafficking ring with his coworkers.  The crew of Millenium, who were barely featured in the first film, have prominent parts in this.  Two of his coworkers are murdered and the blame is placed on Lisbeth.  Meanwhile, Lisbeth's past is coming back to haunt her as we discover that somone from her past is out to destroy her. 
  There is a  psychotic serial killer (Micke Speitz) trying to kill Lisbeth.  Who this seemingly indestructible character is is part of the mystery this time, so I will not say anymore. 
  Lisbeth goes on the run to figure out who did this to her and Micke starts trying to track her down so he can help her and prove her innocence.  They spend most of the movie apart which does not help this script.  The first movie worked better as the chemistry between the two of them is what made the film so powerful, that is lacking here.  They won't be on screen together again till the end. 
  I really can't say much about this film as it really is just a huge buildup for the last film.  The script sort of plods along and isn't very interesting till the last 10 minutes.  It's too little too late which is a shame as I loved the Dragon Tattoo and added it to my DVD collection. 
  I didn't really like the Millenium crew, they seemed very one dimensional and not a whole lot of time is spend on developing them, so how can I care about them?  The first film painted Lisbeth and Micke so well, that I am very disappointed that we don't get the same treatment with the new characters this time around. Also, the bad guys in this one are despicable, but very little is shown or explained of the sex trade, so we don't really know what's going on. 
  This is still a good thriller, but far short of great.  It's your traditional second film, and that's too bad.
  For those of you concerned with content, be warned, this is as graphic as the first one.  The language is not too bad, but there is a completely unnecessary sex scene that went on and on and on (what is wrong with these people?) and the violence is shocking and unflinching.  Still, if you liked the first, you should check out number two. 
  As much as I want to love this, I can only give Girl Who Played With Fire 2 1/2 out of 4. 

Sorry, sorry, sorry.

Boy, do we say that a lot!  Our lives are running away with us.  Suzy is working again!  Yay, but that's leaves little time for movie watching.  Jonathan has been thinking about something other than movies recently...  So, today we have our review of The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest, and coming up next week (ish) will be our Golden Brick winners.  Again, sorry we haven't kept up!  Also, we have been able to access our email again, so keep those request coming and we will get to them as time permits.

The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

I finally sat down and saw the first in the Swedish trilogy.  I wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  Now I know.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo is a Swedish film done with subtitles all the way through, there is no English spoken.   I have no problem with that, some of my favorite films are foreign language (Amelie, A Beautiful Life, The Devils Backbone).  However, other than Noomi Rapace and Michael Nyqvist, I"d never heard of the other actors, they are all Swedish actors.  Most of them are relatively unknown, but this has catapulted them to stardom.  The leads have a long career in front of them, it wouldn't surprise me if Rapace gets picked to be the next Bond girl.
  The story is about a girl who went missing 40 years ago.  Her uncle wants to know what happened, so he hires disgraced magazine editor Mikael Blomkvist (Nyqvist) to find out what really took place.  This is just what Blomkvist needs as he claims he was set up by another for a crime he didn't commit and wants to hide from the public till his trial takes place.  Meanwhile, his story catches the eye of troubled computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, an odd girl with a genius mind (and a Dragon Tattoo that literally covers her entire back and part of her left leg).  She has a photographic memory and can find her away around a computer like you wouldn't believe.  She finds out what Mikael is investigating, hacks into his computer, and cracks a code that hasn't been solved in 40 years. 
  She sends the info to him and he finds her.  They form a partnership and friendship as they work together to solve this case.  This will take them down a dark path to an even darker conclusion. 
  This is a very complex thriller, I'm not even scratching the surface as the movie has so many layers.  It's exciting, engaging, and hard to look away from.  I haven't read the book so I don't know how close it is, but as it is, it's one good film.  The actors have a great connection on screen and they are developed well, so you actually care about them.  This proves that you can make a good exciting thriller without robots or Megan Fox (please, make her go away.)!
  It is rated R for language, violence, and nudity.  Be warned, it deserved it.  There is some graphic nudity and there is some very disturbing violence.  The language isn't too bad, just rough in spots.
  Even still, if you can look past that, it's easily one of the best films from last year, I can't wait to see part 2.  The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo gets a solid brick road.  4 out of 4 bricks for Oscar Worthy The Girl.  

Buried

Paul Conroy (Reynolds) is a truck driver for a company that delivers supplies to US troops in Iraq.  The convoy he was in was hit by a bomb and he survived.  He was kidnapped and placed in a coffin and buried underground.  He has a lighter, and a cellphone with him.  That's it.  He is manages to make calls and is trying to get someone, anyone to help him.  He speaks to the terrorist who kidnapped him and they talk throughout as the plans the terrorist has for him are explained and Paul has to figure out how he is going to escape. 
  He talks to a Special Agent Harris (Palladino) who is working on finding him as well as to his jackass boss (Tobolowsky).  He also tries to reach his wife (Mathis), but only can get her answering machine.
  This movie is far more intense than I thought it would be.  The whole thing takes place in one spot, there is nothing else.  Ryan Reynolds is an excellent actor and proves it here.  The film sucked me in... and then it punched me in the gut.  It's pretty darn good till the last few minutes, where it jumps off the tracks.  I don't know how or why it went where it went (no spoiler here, you won't understand unless you see it, trust me), but it wrecked the film for me. 
  The movie is rated R for language and some violence.  The language is pretty bad, but I don't think most people's reaction to waking up in a buried coffin would be "aw nuts"! :)  The violence just about turned my stomach, so be warned. 
  This still works as a thriller, if you like psychological thrillers, check it out.  Buried gets 3 out of 4 bricks.