The Silence of the Lambs: CR #36

Sorry this review is so late, or if it seems rushed, because today is national Banana Stand day! That also means it's the long awaited return of "Arrested Development" with its fourth season on Netflix! So I've kinda been doing that. In-between my marathoning, though, I was able to see a movie I'd long heard about and had been dying to see. A movie that I was afraid wouldn't hold up to my expectations. This is my review of the classic...

PLOT
Clarice Starling is an FBI agent in training who's been called in to investigate a serial killer that goes by the alias"Buffalo Bill". He's killed five victims so far and has skinned a certain part of each person's body. In order to find this maniac, Starling must get help from one of the most notorious killers alive, Dr. Hannibal Lecter.



PROS
Everyone in this film gives an outstanding performance, but the one really knocks it out of the park is, or course, Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. He truly is creepy and sticks with you long after the credits have rolled.

I loved how the film got its excitement from its conversations and not some random action scene. There's never a useless car chase or a shootout in the middle for no reason, it's all about the dialogue.

Although the movie is over 2 hours long, it remains engaging throughout and never lost my attention for a second. That's great for a movie that's 100% talking.

The film has some great cinematography and camera work in it, which I was not expecting. there's a lot of long shots and close in shots of the actors. One shot in particular, which involves watching Jodie Foster through night vision goggles is incredible and kept me at the edge of my seat.

Even after 10 years and numerous parodies, "Silence of the Lambs" remains creepy and affective. This is a true testament to the film that scenes I've laughed at in "Family Guy" can still terrify me in context.


CONS
The film can get a little melodramatic at times, whether it be in the acting or the film's score. While it's not a huge problem, it can be a little distracting at times when a serious moment is happening and the musical score sounds like something from "Cape Fear".



CONCLUSION
As I said before, "The Silence of the Lambs" is a movie that I was afraid wouldn't hold up after so many years. Thankfully, it blew me away. I was enthralled by this film and couldn't stop watching. This is the definition of a thriller, since it's actually thrilling. This film is certainly worth your time and one that I can't wait to watch again, but with the lights on.

RATING
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