"Bowels in or bowels out?"
Hannibal
Scare:  |
Quality:  |
Story: |
Overall: |
Discuss this review
This is the movie that got me into the world of Hannibal Lector. Ridley Scott takes the reigns for Hannibal, the sequel to Academy-award winning The Silence of the Lambs. Staying on are legendary actor Anthony Hopkins and the less-legendary-but-still-good Frankie Faison. Julianne Moore takes over the role of Clarice Starling, reportedly because Jodie Foster disliked the fact that agent Starling becomes a cannibal at the end of Hannibal (something that doesn’t happen in the movie, only the book). The movie starts with Starling about to take down a drug-dealer, Evelda Drumgo. The bust goes bad because of an over-eager partner, and Clarice ends up in disfavor with the Bureau, thanks in no small part because of an old acquaintance who harbors a grudge, Paul Krendler, played by the fantastic Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Field of Dreams). She has a chance to get in good-graces again by speaking with Mason Verger, a former patient of Hannibal Lector’s, who may have information on where Lector is hiding these days. Mason is very rich, very powerful, and very-much missing most of his face, having carved it off with a piece of glass at Hannibal’s suggestion (with the help of a few drugs). Underneath some incredible make-up is Gary Oldman (Fifth Element, Batman Begins), doing a fabulous job when very little of him can actually be seen.
This is the movie that got me into the world of Hannibal Lector. Ridley Scott takes the reigns for Hannibal, the sequel to Academy-award winning The Silence of the Lambs. Staying on are legendary actor Anthony Hopkins and the less-legendary-but-still-good Frankie Faison. Julianne Moore takes over the role of Clarice Starling, reportedly because Jodie Foster disliked the fact that agent Starling becomes a cannibal at the end of Hannibal (something that doesn’t happen in the movie, only the book). The movie starts with Starling about to take down a drug-dealer, Evelda Drumgo. The bust goes bad because of an over-eager partner, and Clarice ends up in disfavor with the Bureau, thanks in no small part because of an old acquaintance who harbors a grudge, Paul Krendler, played by the fantastic Ray Liotta (Goodfellas, Field of Dreams). She has a chance to get in good-graces again by speaking with Mason Verger, a former patient of Hannibal Lector’s, who may have information on where Lector is hiding these days. Mason is very rich, very powerful, and very-much missing most of his face, having carved it off with a piece of glass at Hannibal’s suggestion (with the help of a few drugs). Underneath some incredible make-up is Gary Oldman (Fifth Element, Batman Begins), doing a fabulous job when very little of him can actually be seen.
With the investigation into Hannibal reopened and Clarice Starling back on the case, the doctor-turned-cannibal is "elevated to the more prestigious 10 Most Wanted list". We find him living in Florence, Italy, living under the name Dr. Fell, and attempting to become caretaker of a library. While he manages to impress the local scholars with his knowledge of Florin history, he attracts the attention of a local detective, Pazzi, skillfully played by Giancarlo Giannini (Man on Fire, "Dune" miniseries). Pazzi, attracted by the reward offered by Mason, attempts to first obtain Lector's fingerprints to prove it's him, then aid Mason's men in capturing Hannibal, with disastrous results both times. Hannibal eventually ends up back in the US, where he can get face-to-face with Clarice.
The movie is beautifully shot by cinematographer John Mathieson (Gladiator, Kingdom of Heaven), showing off some stunning scenery from Florence and New England. Hans Zimmer (Gladiator, The Last Samurai, Black Hawk Down) once again joins up with Ridley Scott, and along with Klaus Badelt creates a wonderful original score, accompanied by the achingly beautiful "Aria De Capo" by Johann Sebastian Bach . All in all, this is a fabulous movie that is definitely work seeing, and probably worth owning.
Starring: Julianne Moore, Anthony Hopkins, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta, Giancarlo Giannini, Frankie Faison
Directed: Ridley Scott
Released: 2001
Time: 131m/ 2 hours and 11 min.
