Mr. Fairplay In Love

I just saw this movie tonight and was I ever impressed!

Having seen "Hannibal", the criticisms I've heard about this film seem to me based entirely on two grudge factors: its a sequel and no Jodie Foster. In my opinion these factors are inconsequential.

Not a psychological thriller like "Silence of The Lambs", Hannibal is first, a frightening glimpse at an individual with abnormally high expectations for social etiquette and an uncompromising sense of fairplay. Secondly, its a love-story..obsessive and one-sided, but a love-story nevertheless.

F.B.I. Agent Clarice Starling has met censure by the bureau for the fatal shooting of a woman holding a baby, an incident in which she had no option but to react as she did. Fallen from her well-earned grace, Clarice is only too eager to re-establish her image when a possible lead to the whereabouts of Dr. Hannibal Lecter comes to the bureau's attention.

Hannibal is currently residing in Florence, where the "disappearance" of an associate has promoted him into nomination for position as curator of an important archive. His life is one of enjoying life and the worldly (quite contrary to that of Clarice's routine existence). Lecter tolerates the inquiries made by the officials investigating the case. But then Detective Pazzi discovers the real identity of the mild-mannered librarian via the F.B.I.'s ten most wanted list. Poor human Detective Pazzi is tempted by the $3,000,000 reward offered...posted, as it turns out by Mason Verger, Hannibal's only surviving victim. A wealthy and unapologetic child molester, Verger has more in his arsenal than a reward...to clinch Dr. Lecter's interest he uses his financial resources to machinate the F.B.I. into luring Lecter back to the States. And how? By again undermining Clarice professionally, in order to draw on the obsessive affection he understands Hannibal holds for the agent.

Hannibal is a character that contradicts neat psychological profiling, in that his cannibalism does not spring from a sexual deviation. The obsessive love for Agent Starling does not adhere to pop notions of likely end-results. The sterile and sexually paranoid world of traditional psychology will hate this character. But his reasoning and emotions are just too identifiable to ordinary people..while in "Silence Of The Lambs" he was just a fascinatingly morbid personality; now he is a symbol of social vindication. And a large proportion of us rally for these symbols, right or wrong, whether we admit it or not.

The plot of "Hannibal" moves easily, the dialogue is believable and uncluttered. I truly enjoyed the rich continental scenery and the tasteful wardrobes outfitted for Mr. Hopkins. As a native of Appalachia, I found Julianne Moore's accent much more believable than Jodie Foster's in "Silence Of The Lambs". The gorey scenes come at only at the most appropriate moments. Beware, that near the end of the film is one scene in which I just had to turn my eyes.

This is certainly not a family movie; when it comes out on video, be sure you've watched it before-hand when deciding if its ok for the begging teen to watch.