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Hannibal (2001)

Director: Ridley Scott

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From Time Out Film Guide

In case you haven't read the Thomas Harris bestseller on which Scott's film is based, this finds brilliant, sophisticated, cannibalistic serial killer Dr Lecter (Hopkins) lurking in comfy pseudonymity as a Florence curator. But he's on the FBI's Ten Most Wanted list, and horribly mutilated millionaire Mason Verger (Oldman), Lecter's sole surviving victim, has put a reward on his head. When Hannibal learns that his old acquaintance Clarice Starling (Moore) is being stitched up by her bosses at the Bureau, he's sufficiently sure of his secret life to write to her; but he hasn't bargained for cop Pazzi (Giannini), who has his doubts about the curator. The weight-watchers script sensibly dispenses with several characters to serve a brew that's enjoyably spicy but low on substance. So much story is squeezed into 131 minutes that little time's left for analysis or characterisation. Moore is impressive but saddled with the straight role, Hopkins ambles through, Giannini is engagingly morose, and Oldman manages to strike a fine balance between witty pastiche and wry pathos, aware that this grandiose Guignol is hokum. The bloated 'classical' score suits Harris's pretensions, while Scott wisely keeps things brisk and delivers the set pieces. Lip smacking fun, it's an improvement on the book, but it's never as rigorous, insightful or compelling as Manhunter.

Author: GA 0000-00-00 00:00:00

Time Out Film Guide

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User reviews of this film

Luay Akoud said...

Posted on Jun 26 2008 01:18 Usually adptation of novels or true events to movies is difficult as the novels and events often express the writer's or the true characters own sense of the event .. but i believe that Hannibal '' the film '' has successfully delivered more than the writer's expectations as the writer's expectations are not important cause the movie is not targeted to the writer .. as a cinematic perspective Hannibal has marvellously achieved its purpose and i still can't find why it hadn't gained the international praisal .. its enough it referenced to Dante's first Sonnet of La Vitae Nuova .. matching the scene and script at the same time .. the development of characters from normal to highest suspense is absolutely convincing and the ultimate task for a director or a cast is to be as convincing as possible .. the film is Scotts best movies of all time , Hopkins as usual impressive to the extreme !!

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