Gary Oldman: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

3. Mason Verger €“ Hannibal (2001)

Jonathan Demme's The Silence Of The Lambs is one of the best psychological thrillers in living memory, with Robert Harris's iconic characters Dr Hannibal Lecter and FBI Agent Clarice Starling brought to vivid life by Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster. The thrills of the page are ably translated to the screen by Demme, and that climactic chase scene is still waiting to be bettered. It deserved those Oscars. Less impressive was Hannibal, the direct follow up directed by Ridley Scott (who, really, has done nothing worthwhile since Gladiator), with the usually dependable Julianne Moore barely making her presence felt as Jodie Foster's replacement. Hopkins returns, too, but the subtle menace of his genius cannibal is undermined by over-the-top gore and ludicrous showboating that is a complete 180 from all previous versions of the character. Perhaps most disappointing in 2001's Hannibal, though, is when Gary Oldman shows up in an uncredited role. Originally offered to Christopher Reeve, who turned down the chance of playing a a quadriplegic, facially-disfigured child rapist, Mason Verger was one of Hannibal's first victims who survived and is out for revenge. He's unrecognisable beneath the layers of make-up which also totally mask his underwhelming performance.