A mostly effective thriller with two excellent acting performances

Rating: 9/10 (21 February 2010)

Only the third film ever in Academy Award history to sweep the top five awards. Also, the first time a thriller wins a Best Picture Academy Award. "The Silence of the Lambs" is most famous for Anthony Hopkin's memorable chilling performance as the clever, charming, cultured, well mannered serial killer Dr.Hannibal Lecter. Hannibal Lecter's character is a composite based on several real life serial killers, including Ted Bundy. Jody Foster gives a powerful, intelligent complementary acting performance as the FBI agent trainee recruited to help catch another serial killer, Buffalo Bill, with the help of Lecter.
What's most impressive about the film is the pairing of Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. They both bring intelligence, believability and a strong minded directness. They play exceptionally well off each other: Lecter is intelligent, but obviously crazy, while Starling is very sane, determined and intelligent enough to match wits and will against the evil, charming, well mannered and clever Lecter.
Not having seen the film in several years, with a fresh perspective, it came across to me as an unusually creepy, strange psychological film. That's a compliment. We have a rare portrayal of a transvestite serial killer, Buffalo Bill. The film contains two scenes I've never seen before, ever, in any film. The first involves Clairice Starling at the beginning of the film, shortly after she first meets Hannibal Lecter in the insane asylum dungeon. The second scene is near the end of the film and involves a very bizarre disguise used by Hannibal Lecter.
Hopkins performance in this film, is my all time movie villain favorite. As a thriller, it works well most of the time, narrative wise. There are a few factual errors. The film is best when both Hopkins and Foster are on screen together. Then it's quite a powerful and gripping psychological drama.