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The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Rating: 6 1/2
Jonathan Demme
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Main Players: Jodie Foster, Anthony Hopkins, Scott Glenn, Ted Levine
Story: An FBI trainee enlists the help of a convicted serial killer to catch another serial killer.
Comment: Serial killers have always fascinated the public. As the subject of a movie, one cannot go wrong with this as the story. But that is not enough. We must have a good plot, a good "chase", and, of course, the ending MUST be satisfying. On all aspects, this movie delivers.
The question that would be in our minds during the whole of the movie must be: Can I believe what I'm seeing? It's OK to have competent actors; but then, having inspired ones don't hurt. Hopkins is brilliant as the evil genius Hannibal Lecter. We almost LIKE him. We are first introduced to him when he is referred to during a conversation. We are told that he is a monster, a cannibal. Our first sight of him is through a glass panel, standing upright, almost soldier-like. He smiles, and becomes the perfect host. But we still remember ... "He's a killer".
The genius of Hopkins is in making us believe such a monster beneath such a cultured veneer could exist. As the story progresses, we learn more about him, and although we thoroughly detests him right until the end of the movie, we can't help but cheer for him when the credits role. It sounds sick, but then, I must applaud good acting.
Foster is ... Foster. Can she do wrong? Perhaps the only irritating thing, to me, about her is that she never 'speaks' differently, in all of her movies, with the exception of Nell, but that's a special case. Other than that, I cannot say anything bad about her performance here.
The highlights of this movie must be whenever the two leads have their prolonged dialogue session. Listen, look, observe. There's great stuff over there.
But there are faults in this wonderful show. The only reason I didn't award it a 7 or more was because of the claustrophobic, though pleasantly confusing, ending. It was just too tiresome.
Conclusion: If you want a movie with great acting, watch this; but beware, the subject matter is gruesome and there's a lot of blood.