“Naturally, I respect its meticulous construction, but you are wearing a very well-tailored person suit.”
Full Disclosure Time: When NBC announced they were planning a primetime-friendly Hannibal Lecter, there were eyebrows raised around here. Most of us will find the cultural memory of Anthony Hopkins’ iconic portrayal a difficult one to cast aside, or even reconcile with any other attempt.
Be that as it may, if you haven’t already, you might want to consider adding Hannibal to your Hulu Watchlist, or Friday Night Shut-In Playlist, or whatever’s your style, really. There are several reasons to watch Hannibal; not the least of which being Mads Mikkelsen’s portrayal of the titular character.
This latest version is just as unnerving as you might expect, but for markedly different reasons. While Anthony Hopkins’ Hannibal inspired dread because you knew he quite literally wanted to eat your face, Mads Mikkelsen’s Hannibal is just as terrifying because of the neatly constructed disguise he inhabits. There is something otherworldly about Mikkelsen’s countenance. It isn’t just that he is attractive, but that every expression on his face is like a painting of sorts. As Hannibal, he seems to display just enough emotion so that you believe his words, despite your every instinct to run away as far and as fast as possible. Hannibal’s own psychotherapist, Bordelia Du Maurier, (played by Gillian Anderson) totally gets this as she says, “Naturally, I respect its meticulous construction, but you are wearing a very well-tailored person suit.”
