Manhunter

Manhunter (1986)
Director: Michael Mann
Cast: William Peterson, Kim Greist, Joan Allen, Brian Cox, Dennis Farina, Tom Noonan
Memorable Line(s): "It's just you and me now, sport. And I'm going to find you."

* Overlooked and Underrated *
This is one of those overlooked and underrated movies that also suffers from the fact that it lies under the Anthony Hopkins/Hannibal Lecter shadow.

From a historical movie perspective, this is the prequel to "Silence of the Lambs," and was actually made well before "Silence" but quickly forgotten. It took "Silence" to rocket Hannibal Lecter into the cultural zeitgeist and that didn't happen until 1991, five years after this movie was made and after "Manhunter" disappeared into cinema silence. But I put it to you that this film is actually much better than it's remake, "Red Dragon" (the name of the novel it was adapted from) made in 2002.

William Peterson (pre-CSI fame) stars as the intense FBI special agent, Will Grahm, who has secluded himself in retirement only to be enticed out of his recluse by his old boss (Farina) to solve a series of murders committed by a killer who is called the 'Tooth Fairy.' Part investigative procedural and part psycho-drama, we follow Grahm and the FBI team across the country in a game cat and mouse, trying to prevent the 'Tooth Fairy' from striking again. The details of the investigative process are fascinating and repulsive as we get to see into the mind of a killer as he is being tracked, but also see the terrible aftermath of his insane savagery. Brian Cox portrays Hannibal Lecter, who is already in custody at this time, who Grahm seeks out to both "catch the scent" again and to possibly get Lecter's insight into the killer.

The acting across all parts is solid. Peterson is at one time smoldering with intensity and then remote and aloof caught up in his deep and long thoughts. Cox underplays Lecter as opposed to Hopkins larger-than-life portrayal Lecter in "Silence" which I think works quite well for the character. Noonen has the challenging role of making us empathize with a stone-cold psychopath, but he pulls it off. You sense the person he could have been had it not been for some damaging episode or inherent default that turned him down the path to insanity and violence.

Mann's direction and editing bring an edgy energy to the film that drives the plot forward. The only knock on the film might be that Mann, who was producing the popular TV show, "Miami Vice" at the time, brought some it's south Florida style elements into the movie, dating it somewhat.

If you want to see how to handle a thriller with cool style and energy, I urge to check "Manhunter."