Silence of the Lambs was generally regarded as an excellent and scary movie. The follow up was laughably below par. Lots of good material out there though what about a prequel? It will have to be good! Enter, stage left, Anthony Hopkins, Edward Norton, Ralph Fiennes, Harvey Keitel, Emily Watson. With that amount of actor talent rising to the challenge you could be forgiven for thinking it could hardly fail and, in this case, you would be right. Whilst not quite on a par with Lambs', this new version of the Red Dragon / Tooth Fairy story comes complete with plenty of excellent shocks, both of the predictable and of the less-predictable, edge-of-seat-white-knuckle variety.
FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) seeks the help of Dr. Hannibal The Cannibal' Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to help solve a series of gruesome serial killings. Hopkins turns in the adequate performance that he has perfected beforehand sufficient for this Saturday-night shock-fest even if it's not up to the standard of his greatest work the sensitive nuances of Shadowlands, the multi-faceted and memorable characterisation of Amistad, or the sheer newness of the present character from Lambs'. His performance is nicely served up, but we know that it is one he has made earlier', and forgive him for over-acting it with such glee. Edward Norton is less hammy as the thoughtful detective who never overestimates his own abilities. Harvey Keitel is effortlessly laid back as his police boss, helping to add a touch of realism and believability that too easily gets lost in American movie police roles. Ralph Fiennes plays the demented serial killer, casting up a persona he has polished a little earlier for the rather lacklustre Cronenberg movie, Spider. He is a slimy, screwed up, repulsive character the sort of person you want to shrink away from. Someone has to interact with him to give him depth though so we have the blind working girl, played by Emily Watson, who falls for the monster that no one understands. Poor girl! this time the Beast doesn't turn into a prince! A further element of counterpoint is provided by a superb supporting role filled by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the spineless, lecherous and unethical reporter who gets in too deep and still manages to make us feel sorry for him. The fine acting from Hoffman, Keitel, Norton and (most of the time) Watson, throw into sharp relief the caricatures provided by Hopkins and Fiennes. The overall concoction is a very acceptable thriller, better than you would have anticipated perhaps. A solid if rather less than thought-provoking piece of entertainment.
FBI agent Will Graham (Edward Norton) seeks the help of Dr. Hannibal The Cannibal' Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) to help solve a series of gruesome serial killings. Hopkins turns in the adequate performance that he has perfected beforehand sufficient for this Saturday-night shock-fest even if it's not up to the standard of his greatest work the sensitive nuances of Shadowlands, the multi-faceted and memorable characterisation of Amistad, or the sheer newness of the present character from Lambs'. His performance is nicely served up, but we know that it is one he has made earlier', and forgive him for over-acting it with such glee. Edward Norton is less hammy as the thoughtful detective who never overestimates his own abilities. Harvey Keitel is effortlessly laid back as his police boss, helping to add a touch of realism and believability that too easily gets lost in American movie police roles. Ralph Fiennes plays the demented serial killer, casting up a persona he has polished a little earlier for the rather lacklustre Cronenberg movie, Spider. He is a slimy, screwed up, repulsive character the sort of person you want to shrink away from. Someone has to interact with him to give him depth though so we have the blind working girl, played by Emily Watson, who falls for the monster that no one understands. Poor girl! this time the Beast doesn't turn into a prince! A further element of counterpoint is provided by a superb supporting role filled by Philip Seymour Hoffman as the spineless, lecherous and unethical reporter who gets in too deep and still manages to make us feel sorry for him. The fine acting from Hoffman, Keitel, Norton and (most of the time) Watson, throw into sharp relief the caricatures provided by Hopkins and Fiennes. The overall concoction is a very acceptable thriller, better than you would have anticipated perhaps. A solid if rather less than thought-provoking piece of entertainment.