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March brings us the video release of a top-notch thriller, David Fincher's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [Sony]. Here is the case of a best-selling Swedish novel — the first installment of Stieg Larsson's "Millennium" trilogy, published in 2005 — which became a worldwide best-seller, followed by the English language edition published in 2008; a smashingly successful Swedish film in 2009; and an even more successful American film in 2011. All of which is a testament to the power of creating compelling characters. And none of which warmed the heart or filled the pockets of the author; he died of a heart attack at the age of 50 in 2004, before the first section of the trilogy was published.

Daniel Craig stars as journalist Mikael Blomkvist, but it is Rooney Mara — as the computer-hacking genius Lisbeth Salander who dominates the movie. Mara, last seen in Fincher's "The Social Network," is very good indeed. (To look at her you wouldn't necessarily think pro football, but great-grandfathers Rooney and Mara were founders of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New York Giants.) Also on hand is Christopher Plummer, who just supplemented his two Tonys and two Emmys with an Oscar — not for "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" but for his other big 2011 movie, "Beginners." Not a bad year for an 80-something.

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	Cover art for "The Descendants"

Arriving the day of my deadline — and thus too late to watch again — is the engrossing The Descendants [Fox], one of the best and most satisfying movies of 2011. This from director Alexander Payne, who also gave us "Sideways" in 2004. (Payne shared Oscars — and deservedly so — for the screenplays of both "Sideways" and "The Descendants"). George Clooney is especially impressive here, as a father coping with an assortment of problems. All set against the backdrop of Kaua'i, in Hawaii, which makes a mighty fine backdrop. This family comedy-drama is likely to pull you in for repeated viewings.

The Blu-ray comes with a DVD and digital copy. Special features include "Everybody Loves George" [Clooney], "Working with Alexander" [Payne], a piece on "The Real Descendants," and some deleted scenes that fans will want to watch.

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	Cover art for "Anatomy of a Murder"

If it's a startlingly good courtroom drama you want — one that isn't anything like a standard courtroom drama, or a standard anything — you can turn to Otto Preminger's Anatomy of a Murder [Criterion]. Preminger was a director/producer who tended to do things differently and stir things up cinematically. Best known for the 1944 "Laura," he helmed a long list of provocative films including "The Moon Is Blue," "Carmen Jones," "The Man with the Golden Arm," "Exodus" and "Advise and Consent."

"Anatomy of a Murder," from 1959, is one of his finest. James Stewart stars as a somewhat shaky attorney representing a murderer; the defense is that the victim had raped the man's wife. (The detailed discussion of rape and the repeated use of the word "panties," in Eisenhower America, was enough to cause moralists and some politicians to blanch.) There are many shades of ambiguity here, and an array of enjoyable performances from interesting actors. Like Ben Gazzara (who died in February), who in 1955 had created the role of Brick in the Tennessee Williams play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Gazzara is the defendant, and not an admirable one; Lee Remick is his wife, and not an admirable one. Both performances are fascinating. Stewart's office staff consists of Arthur O'Connell and Eve Arden, and you can hardly find two better character actors.

Most watchable, perhaps, is George C. Scott as the prosecuting attorney. This is the relatively young Scott — already past thirty, but just becoming established. (He picked up his first Oscar nomination in the process, joined by Stewart and O'Connell). Stewart v. Scott is quite a battle of lawyers, and actors. History enthusiasts will note a special gift from Preminger: that judge up there — and it's a very good performance — is Joseph N. Welch, head counsel of the Army in the Army-McCarthy Hearings in 1954. (This was the folk hero who in real life shot the poisoned arrow at Senator Joseph McCarthy and helped bring down the blacklist, with the words "Have you no sense of decency, sir?")

"Anatomy of a Murder" is further enhanced by the jazz score, true jazz from Duke Ellington. Even the title sequence is memorably good, coming from Saul Bass. The Blu-ray from Criterion looks and sounds wonderful, a significant improvement from the prior DVD release. Special features on the second disc include a new interview with Preminger's biographer, Foster Hirsch; critic Gary Giddens on Ellington's score; a piece on the relationship between Preminger and Saul Bass; excerpts from Preminger's 1967 appearance on "Firing Line" with William G. Buckley, Jr.; and more.

Also from Criterion: Louis Malle's film version of Andre Gregory's Vanya on 42nd Street on Blu-ray, which will be discussed in our next column.

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