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Since Manhunter and Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal Lector has become an acquaintance we look forward to seeing again. Films like Seven and TV shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, in addition to violent crimes seen on the news have left little to the imagination. Because of this, the gruesomeness in Hannibal, while not totally implausible, is not bone chilling or shocking. It's another take, albeit a highly creative one, whose comic appeal was wholly unexpected. Clarice Starling (Julianne Moore) is older and wiser now after several years with the FBI. After an unfortunate incident in which her command is disobeyed, she ends up killing several people in a drug gang bust that publicly stains her reputation. This gives Paul Kendall (Ray Liotta), from the Justice Department, the opportunity to pawn her to Hannibal's only escaped victim, the horrendously disfigured millionaire Mason Verger (Gary Oldman), in order to ensnare Hannibal. Verger has planned an elaborate revenge involving wild boars (who incidentally, seem to be Hollywood's latest in demand extras. Their purpose, as in Snatch, is to gobble up enemies, alive or dead.) and has offered a hefty reward for him of 3 million dollars. Hannibal Lector has been living in a Florence, Italy where apparently no Italian is ever spoken. Nor does anyone notice that Hopkins is dressed like Dirk Bogarde's character in Visconti's Death in Venice and should be easy to spot. He is now an art history lecturer and curator who enthralls the public with his intelligence, poise, and charm. A strange twist is that Hannibal is a much more sympathetic character than the others who surround Clarice, which leads to a hypothesis that the movie at its core is more about corruption than any sort of serious psychological thriller. Clarice's circle is not exactly stellar. Sleazy Kendall (Liotta) is a repugnant mix of arrogance and stupidity. He not only offends Hannibal's sense of aesthetic, he offends ours as well. If the FBi "good old boys" aren't cast in a favorable light, it should be no surprise that the Italian police are hardly on top of things either. Rinaldo Pazzi (Giancarlo Giannini) is the cop who uncovers Hannibal; he prefers 3 million dollars over capturing a wanted killer. The lure of cash attracts more than the Italian police. Even a former nurse orderly has been slowly selling wares he collected from Hannibal's time in lock up. From cook books to masks, you have the sinking feeling anything can be had for a price on EBay. Mason Verger's plan for revenge is perverted, and that he's working with the FBI leaves the stomach a bit queasy. Though some of these people are more nuts than Hannibal, none are as riveting as he is. A lot of talk will center on a particularly gruesome final dinner scene. Let's just say nothing is left to the imagination and you won't be particularly sad to see some people go. The incongruous solidarity between Hannibal and Clarice makes for an interesting dance in the last third of the film, though it seems contrived. It's also of special note that no women die under his hand this time around. While he gives “some very serious thought” to eating Pazzi's wife, he opts instead for masculine flesh. As for the acting? It's mixed. Anthony Hopkins is glorious in his depravity while Julianne Moore is strong as a seasoned FBI agent who's seen enough but nevertheless still manages to go after the bad guy. Giancarlo Giannini has the thankless task of waiting to die, but he's got a weariness that suggests he's not terribly affected by it. Gary Oldman's Mason Verger suspiciously looks a lot like a mutant Whovillian and sounds strangely like Jim Carrey's Grinch (in itself a bad Sean Connery impersonation). Though Ray Liotta's character will forever remain unforgettable, he doesn't have that much to do other than be a jerk. A few plot points need to be reconsidered for their ridiculousness. Verger just happens to have hired a family of bumbling Italian peasants to raise wild boars in hopes of feeding Hannibal to them. They're ready to unleash the beasts in Florence, but then Hannibal heads for Virginia, where they also show up with their evil boars. Is it just me, or is Customs in the DC area not quite up to par? Also, they're the ones who capture Hannibal in a busy mall while Clarice plays cat and mouse with him. She can gun down a drug dealer holding a baby but can't spot her old buddy? The main character may be an insane degenerate, but the cinematography and direction are gorgeous. There are grisly scenes, but many more are absolutely exquisite. We're lucky Hannibal decided to go to Florence instead of say, Detroit. Scott creates some stunning scenes of Italy and Virginia that seem larger than life in their beauty. Shadows, fog, and blues create noir images and heighten the suspense. Scott seems to show a lot of the film through Hannibal's eyes and his fondness for Italian aethetics. Scott is careful, however, and we reconsider hiring Hannibal as a tour guide when we see the world through Clarice's point of view, and the horror she sees through a morphine haze. An imperfect film that nonetheless remains riveting when someone like Hannibal is onscreen.
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