Chilling psychological thriller.

Rating: 9/10 (11 July 2006)

The Silence of the Lambs picks up 5 years after the events of Manhunter. A serial killer is kidnapping and murdering women, and wearing their skin as clothing. When the governor's daughter is kidnapped, an FBI trainee named Clarice Starling is sent to talk to the cannibalistic Dr. Hannibal Lecter so he might shed some of his vast knowledge on the case. This leads to a bizarre relationship where Clarice opens up to Hannibal for information. This is a very good psychological thriller that will live on through the years as a timeless classic.
The Silence of the Lambs is superior to it's predecessor because it seems to be made on a larger budget, and it uses some big names. It successfully translates the mood from Thomas Harris' novel to film, so the movie comes off as dark and creepy. The characters are awesome. The cat and mouse conversations between Hannibal and Clarice are immensely interesting. She is shy, and Hannibal forces her to be bold. The serial killer in this movie, Buffalo Bill, is based off of real life killer Ed Gein, and he is extremely disturbing in this movie. Another good thing is that this is a no holds barred movie. It doesn't pull any punches. It shows what it wants, and it makes the movie more realistic.
The acting is awesome. Anthony Hopkins does a vastly superior job in the role of Hannibal Lecter than Brian Cox did in Manhunter. He made the character his own, and that's why nobody mentions Brian Cox in the role. Hopkins' portrayal is creepy and memorable. Jodie Foster does a knock out job as Clarice Starling, the shy FBI agent forced to interview Hannibal.
Overall, this is an amazing movie, and it definitely deserved the Best Picture Oscar. Anybody that loves a good psychological police drama really needs to rent/buy this movie.
9/10