Directed by Ridley Scott

Writing credits (WGA), Thomas Harris (novel), David Mamet

Genre: Thriller / Horror

Tagline: Break The Silence

Anthony Hopkins .... Hannibal Lecter
Julianne Moore .... Clarice Starling
Giancarlo Giannini .... Rinaldo Pazzi
Gary Oldman .... Mason Verger
Ray Liotta .... Paul Krendler
Frankie Faison .... Barney
Ennio Coltorti .... Ricci
Francesca Neri .... Allegra Pazzi
Robert Rietti .... Sogliato
Francis Guinan .... Assistant Director Noonan
James Opher .... FBI Agent Eldridge
Enrico Lo Verso .... Gnocco
Alex Corrado .... Piero

After being in hiding in relative silence for around ten years Hannibal Lecter makes contact with FBI agent Clarice Starling through a letter. Clarice is in trouble with the FBI after a drugs raid that went wrong and is disillusioned with her job. The only surviving one of Lecters victims, Mason Verger, saves her career so he can use her to catch Hannibal Lecter and get his revenge. Clarice finds out that Lecter is in Florence, Italy but she hasn’t found him first. An Italian detective has figured him out and his trying to catch him for the reward of Verger.
Hannibal Lecter goes back to America to see Clarice but is captured by Mason Verger who intends to get his revenge in a brutal way.
I won’t spoil the end for those who haven’t seen it but if you don’t mind click here.

It’s really difficult to class this movie. It takes you on a ride through so many genres and so many different emotions. It has an element of horror, thriller, romance, comedy and in some places just pure sickness. This is what makes the movie so good. Another good point is the acting. Anthony Hopkins is perfect as Lecter, his voice, his eyes and his looks on the whole suite the character so well its unbelievable. Julianne Moore is at her best when playing Clarice Starling. I went into the movie thinking that it wasn’t going to feel right with someone other than Jodie Foster playing Clarice but I came out preferring Moore to Foster. Jodie was good as the young, stuttering, idealistic Starling in the Silence of the lambs but she wouldn’t have suited playing the tough, disillusioned Clarice in Hannibal. Other actors, particularly Gary Oldman as Mason Verger, Ray Liotta as Paul Krendler and Giancarlo Gianinni as Rinaldo Pazzi really helped bring the film to life with strong backing performances.
There are very little things to complain about this film, the atmosphere is great, the directing is excellent, the writing is perfect, the filming is brilliant and the ending is to die for. I knew going into the movie that the ending was different to that of the book were Clarice and Hannibal go skipping of into the sunset together hand in hand because they wanted to leave the door open for another film. I wasn’t expecting what was to come though and I was thrilled by the ending they used. I prefer it to that of the book because I think it’s too soon for them to bounce of together.
I hope they make another film with Hopkins and Moore staying on as Lecter and Starling (with Ridley Scott directing) because I feel the Lecter series really does need rounding off. Otherwise in years to come, Hannibal the movie will look like a poor movie to finish of a brilliant set of characters and it deserves more than that.