A top-notch thriller - Enjoy it with some fava beans and a nice chianti

Rating: 8/10 (9 December 2008)

"The Silence of the Lambs" is a film that needs no introduction. After all, who isn't familiar with Hannibal Lecter, chosen by the AFI as the top movie villain of all time? Needless to say, this is a thriller that touched a chord with movie-goers everywhere and continues to do so today.
One of the film's strong points is the casting. Obviously, Anthony Hopkins as Lecter was an inspired choice, but the thing that makes it even more special is the interplay with Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling. Deservedly, both of their performances resulted in Oscar wins. The supporting cast is solid too, though unremarkable, except for Ted Levine as Buffalo Bill.
One of the film's other Oscar wins went to Ted Tally for his screenplay adapted (pretty faithfully) from Thomas Harris' best-selling novel. It's a compelling story and the female 'hero' makes it unique (or at least it was unique before countless copycats tried and failed with the same formula). It also features not one, but two, psychologically fascinating psychopaths.
Director Jonathon Demme won an Oscar for his efforts but I'm not especially crazy about the film's look. There are indeed a few memorable images but, generally, the whole visual presentation seems a little B-movie-ish to me. Howard Shore's score is mostly average as well though I suppose that it does have its moments.
However, what I perceive as a slight deficiency in terms of style is more than made up for in substance. Forget the scores of imitators that have followed (including the sequels), this is the real deal.