Hannibal (2001)
RIDLEY SCOTT
Bil’s rating (out of 5): BB.5. United Kingdom/USA, 2001. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Universal Pictures, Dino De Laurentiis Company, Scott Free Productions. Screenplay by David Mamet, Steven Zaillian, based on the novel by Thomas Harris. Cinematography by John Mathieson. Produced by Dino De Laurentiis, Martha De Laurentiis, Ridley Scott. Music by Hans Zimmer. Production Design by Diego Loreggian, Norris Spencer. Costume Design by Janty Yates. Film Editing by Pietro Scalia.
Gothic and beautiful but empty-headed follow-up to Jonathan Demme’s perfect Silence of the Lambs has Julianne Moore ably filling in for Jodie Foster’s role as Clarice Starling. The plot is basically finishing off loose ends that the characters didn’t wrap up last time, with Starling chasing Hannibal Lecter (the always impressive Anthony Hopkins) across two continents to save him from himself. There’s no one to save in the nick of time, there’s no driving momentum, nor are there any interesting characters (Giancarlo Giannini‘s turn as a cop who goes after Lecter in the most ham-fisted of ways is so predictable as to induce yawning when his outcome finally arrives), leaving you with a film that’s all dressed up with no where to go. That said, it also features some of the most disgusting and disturbing images I’ve ever seen in a major release, all the more annoying because there’s nothing of value to attach them to.
