"I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti."- Hannibal Lecter

Rating: 7/10 (13 January 2009)

Silence of the Lambs is one of the most gripping and chilling crime-thrillers ever made and is based on the critically acclaimed bestseller by Thomas Harris. The movie deserved its five Oscar wins. The genre does not get much better than this.
Clarice Starling (Jodie Foster) is a young and attractive FBI trainee. She is called on an "interesting errand" by director Jack Crawford (Scott Glenn) to try to make a profile of Dr. Hannibal Lector (Anthony Hopkins), an imprisoned and insane former forensic psychiatrist. There is also a killer on the loose who kidnaps and skins young women, known as "Buffalo Bill"/ Jame Gumb (Ted Levine). Hannibal Lecter offers to help capture him before he kills again.
Hannibal Lecter is simply one of the most unforgettable villains in history. Hopkins's portrayal chilled many audiences (including my mother lol) and became a phenomenon. Hopkins deserved more recognition than an Oscar! Jodie Foster was great for the part. She also deserved her Oscar. Her and Hopkins make a good acting duo.
Ted Levine was creepy as Jame Gumb. His accent made me crack up sometimes. He portrays the homicidal maniac to a horrifically authentic degree. I can hardly stand to watch in his little "dance sequence". The characters all together are simply unforgettable.
As the case with most of the Hannibal Lecter movies (with the exception of "Manhunter), "Silence of the Lambs" sticks close to the book. The book and the film both can't be compared to other books and films of the genre. I think most if not all audiences will be pleased.
8/10