...sigh...

Rating: 5/10 (7 November 1998)

A tremendously overrated movie in most respects (although Tak Fujimoto's cinemtography is crisp with a lovely use of color). Johnathan Demme has made better movies (Something Wild leaps to mind) and this one is rather slick and impersonal compared to others he has directed.
Jodie Foster's performance does little for me; she seems too tense and earnest all through the movie - no changes. I do not understand why they made the Dr. Chilton character such a broad, asinine media-hound; a psychologist of that high a level would be that stupid? If he were smarter, it would make the characters who out-think him smarter. And finally, I think they should take that Oscar away from Mr. Hopkins for his sweaty-browed, serpent-voiced performance and give it to Brian Cox for his work in Manhunter: the first, and to me better, Hannibal Lecter.