GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO (Rooney Mara Speaks)

• GIRL WITH THE DRAGONTATTOO

Rooney Mara’s take as social hacker Lisbeth Salander inDavid Fincher’s The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo is perhaps the most anticipatedperformance of the year.

Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander

There might be a lot to live up to (fans of the books, fansof the Swedish adaptations, an astonishing performance from Noomi Rapace), butall the evidence so far suggests that Mara has created a Lisbeth to be reckonedwith.

Total Film got the chance to talk with the star of the Girlwith the Dragon Tattoo, she evidently shared an affinity with the characterwho’s become an instant icon:

 “I felt like therewas something at Lisbeth’s core that was at my core too. I could really relateto that,” she told us, adding, “I’m not really a group or team person.”

That’s not to say she wasn’t aware of the ramifications oftaking on such an iconic character, explaining, “When he [David Fincher]offered me the part he explained to me that this film had the potential tochange my life, not necessarily for the better.”

Of course, it wasn’t easy: “It was very emotionally draining,and physically probably even more so,” she says. Then, a half-smile: “I don’tthink you can understand the character unless you’ve been through a winter inSweden…”

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo opens on 26 December 2011.