Daniel Thackeray (resist2182)

Good performances and at times an interesting watch but not nearly as engaging as it should have been

Jennifer's Body? More like Jennifer's Bady. Oh dear, the fall from grace for Diablo

*SPOILERS* According to Flixster's 'More Like This' section, you should check out Romancing the Stone. Yes, because these are very similar movies, aren't they? I guess they both contain a kind of butchering; one butchers women, the other butchers alligators. I digress... The Silence of the Lambs is still in my all time favourite list, and has been for almost 20 years. I remember being about 9 / 10 years old, and my dad said that his mate had leant him a video and asked me if I wanted to watch it with him. "What kind of film is it daddy?" I asked. He said something along the lines of "It's about a cannibal." Well, I was sold! When most people think of this movie, they instantly think of Dr Hannibal 'The Cannibal' Lecter. I guess this is ok to a certain extent. He is played with such charismatic, terrifyingly unflinching acting by Hopkins so it's hard to not think of him. However, this is Clarice Starling's movie. Foster is in almost every scene of this movie, where as Hopkins only has limited (but effective) screentime. The story goes like this... Clarice Starling is a trainee FBI agent with a passion for behavioural science. She is asked to run an 'interesting errand', to interview incarcerated psychiatrist Dr Hannibal Lecter, a serial killer with a taste for human flesh. The FBI are struggling to find another serial killer known as 'Buffalo Bill', who is skinning parts of the women he has killed. They are hoping Lecter will offer insight to the killer. Lecter offers cryptic clues to Clarice in exchange for sharing memories from her childhood. As another woman goes missing, Clarice only has a short time to solve the clues, and must share memories that she's kept inside for years. The first scene shared by Hopkins and Foster is incredible, which is set in a dungeon like part of the mental hospital that is Lecter's permanent home. The chemistry between the two, the way it makes you feel part of the scene, the intellectual and spine tingling dialogue; it makes the scene so special and iconic. Clarice's confrontation with Bill is another great moment, the tension and fear oozes from the screen and puts you in Clarice's shoes. At this moment that is somewhere you really don't want to be. Finally; the great escape. The way in which Lecter becomes a free man once again is both ingenious and maniacal. So there I was, 9 / 10 years old watching this scary movie about a cannibal with my dad. It gets to the end. Am I disappointed at the lack of cannibalism? No! I feel disturbed, exhilirated, and a part of me feels that i've watched something so special that i'll never forget it. Kudos to my father for letting his little boy watch something that a little boy really shouldn't watch. Compared with todays gorno / OTT violent movies, Lambs may not look so bad. Actually the violence in this movie is very sparse, with a more suggestive approach which I find more effective than leaving absolutely fuck all to the imagination. The Silence of the Lambs is a timeless classic, terrifying and psychological, and without a doubt the greatest 'Lecter' movie by far.

Original, inspiring, funny, sad, beautiful, incredible.