858. Philadelphia

Philadelphia
1993
Directed by Jonathan Demme

It is absolutely appalling how long it took everyone to acknowledge the AIDs crisis.  I wasn't alive for the eighties but I have heard firsthand accounts of what it was like for victims and their friends, family, and lovers.  It is a very upsetting and emotional topic.  Is it possible to watch AIDs activists dumping their loved ones ashes on the White House lawn without tearing up?  I hope not.

I guess I should be discussing the actual film.  Andrew Beckett is a young lawyer who is hiding both his illness and his sexual orientation from the partners at his firm.  Beckett is being assigned to the firm's most important case when one of the partners notices a lesion on his forehead.  Beckett tells them that it is a racquetball injury, but the partner realizes that it is Kaposi's Sarcoma, having worked with a woman who contracted AIDs through a blood transfusion.  The partners conjure up a flimsy reason to fire Beckett.  Beckett hopes to sue the firm, but is unable to find anyone willing to take his case.  Enter the dashing Joe Miller, who is willing to fight the good fight, despite his own homophobia.

It is kind of upsetting to me to hear people call this film Oscar bait.  It makes it sound like the filmmakers were only interested in garnering a few awards rather than telling a story that desperately needs to be heard.  Maybe I am being naive, but I truly think it was a noble cause to take up this tale; I know a lot of actors, studios, and directors wouldn't have touched this film with a ten foot pole.

Anyway, it is a film that everyone should watch.  See?  I can deal with upsetting material.  Now I have to go find some tissues...

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Tom Hanks lost 30 pounds for his role, while Denzel Washington was required to gain a few pounds for his.  Apparently, Washington would eat chocolate bars in front of Hanks, presumably to just be the worst.

837. The Silence of the Lambs

The Silence of the Lambs
1991
Directed by Jonathan Demme

I just watched the Siskel & Ebert review for this film on YouTube.  Siskel called the film "exploitative" and said that "the horrors of female abuse are too much with us, I think now, to be trifled with more in the movies."  It's, perhaps, a valid point and the horrifying depiction of a trans man still makes me cringe.  Still, the performances in this film are incredible and it works quite effectively as a thriller.

Clarice Starling, a FBI trainee, is asked to interview Hannibal Lecter in prison.  Hannibal is a former psychiatrist and serial killer, who also seems to be omniscient.  The FBI believe Hannibal might provide insight in tracking down another serial killer, Buffalo Bill, who skins his female victims.  It quickly becomes clear that Hannibal might become more of a threat than Buffalo Bill, despite being incarcerated.  But at least Hannibal doesn't dance.

I have to give this film five stars on the basis of Anthony Hopkins' performance alone.  Every expression, every inflection, and every movement he does is absolutely perfect.  It kind of makes Brian Cox's performance look embarrassingly bad.  Of course, Cox didn't have a brilliant script to work with like Hopkins did.

Jodie Foster is also fantastic here; the kind of reluctant respect and reverence she has for Hannibal is fascinating.  Definitely a disturbing film that, unfortunately, ruined the song "American Girl" for me.

RATING: *****

Interesting Facts:

Only horror film to win Best Picture.

The majority of the film was shot in Pittsburgh.  I actually pass the building where Hannibal was kept in his cage nearly every day.  Lovely.