Hannibal
| Year: | 2001 |
| Director: | Ridley Scott |
| Writer: | Thomas Harris/David Mamet |
| Cast: | Anthony Hopkins, Julianne Moore, Gary Oldman, Ray Liotta |
After an outcry after the Australian release because of the climatic scene, this movie was upgraded from an MA to R rating.
And I can't say I blame people for being upset; like in the US, Australian censors are extremely prudish about anything sexual, but watching a killer cut a piece of a man's brain out and feeding it to him is considered okay.
It's ten years later and Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, doing a good job but the role is somewhat diminished without Jodie Foster) is copping flack from all sides along with the FBI for continuing balls-ups and scandals.
Meanwhile, in Italy, a police inspector thinks he might be on the trail of the infamous Hannibal Lecter (he is), now posing an a museum curator, but instead of turning him in to the FBI, he decides to try to bring him down himself, collecting the bounty on Lecter's head being offered by former victim Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, minus face, in an incredible make up job).
Lecter returns to America because of the inexonerable bond he feels with Starling (going to the extent of rescuing her during the horrible climax with the pigs) and severing his own hand to escape so as not to hurt her.
Cinematically brilliant, exploring more of the life of Lecter than we could when he was in prison in Silence of the Lambs, tightly made and intelligently delivered, it's as good as it's predecessor, which was mostly smoke and mirrors in comparison).
And I can't say I blame people for being upset; like in the US, Australian censors are extremely prudish about anything sexual, but watching a killer cut a piece of a man's brain out and feeding it to him is considered okay.
It's ten years later and Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore, doing a good job but the role is somewhat diminished without Jodie Foster) is copping flack from all sides along with the FBI for continuing balls-ups and scandals.
Meanwhile, in Italy, a police inspector thinks he might be on the trail of the infamous Hannibal Lecter (he is), now posing an a museum curator, but instead of turning him in to the FBI, he decides to try to bring him down himself, collecting the bounty on Lecter's head being offered by former victim Mason Verger (Gary Oldman, minus face, in an incredible make up job).
Lecter returns to America because of the inexonerable bond he feels with Starling (going to the extent of rescuing her during the horrible climax with the pigs) and severing his own hand to escape so as not to hurt her.
Cinematically brilliant, exploring more of the life of Lecter than we could when he was in prison in Silence of the Lambs, tightly made and intelligently delivered, it's as good as it's predecessor, which was mostly smoke and mirrors in comparison).