FBI agent-in-training Clarice Starling on assignment enlists the help of confined psychopath and psychiatrist Hannibal Lecter to capture a serial killer he is familiar with.

Rating: 9/10 (8 July 2015)

"The Silence of the Lambs" deserves its recognition as a classic and one of only three movies in history to win the "big 5" Oscars. The protagonists were brilliantly portrayed. Hopkins very much adds to the story through his creepy performance. His articulate speech and refined southern English accent were jarring as he rarely blinked and calmly expressed his cannibalism. The way Lecter masterfully picked at Starling's insecurities while she tried to get his assistance in finding Buffalo Bill made the character all the more terrifying. Foster, unsurprisingly, is extremely believable as a young woman who wants to prove her worth for her future occupation by tackling the ambitious case. The directing flows smoothly. Great use of extreme close-ups are used to see the actors' emotions and connect with them. The flashbacks were introduced before they seamlessly illustrated the effects Lecter's prodding conversations has on Clarice, making these scenes easy to follow and making Foster's character more of a protagonist. On a side note, I appreciated the conscientious effort made to include a diverse cast in the film, with African- Americans featured prominently in important secondary roles. With that being said, I did feel that the movie was not perfect. The way Clarice finds a lead as to where Buffalo Bill is hiding seemed far- fetched to me. I felt the case could have been further developed before Starling reached the conclusion she arrived to. Moreover, I felt that Buffalo Bill could have used more of a back-story than what is given in order to increase the depth of his character. While some insight is given by Lecter, it is not enough to understand what caused the gender/identity issues that drive Bill to kill. This made his character seem a bit two- dimensional as the antagonist of the film. In contrast, I found Lecter's character rich in depth, as he would be considered a bad guy unless he was helping to find another mentally ill murderer. His character does not hold back his psychopathic ways or complete, self-centered disregard for the well- being of others if it doesn't suit his needs. All in all, this was an incredibly well done film that could probably only be improved if not for time restraints.