STARS: ****
DIRECTOR: Anthony Minghella
PRINCIPLE CAST:
Matt Damon
Jude Law
Gwyneth Paltrow
Cate Blanchett
Philip Seyomour Hoffman
Jack Davenport
TAGLINE: How far would you go to become someone else?
I'm convinced that when you watch this movie you either going to absolutely love it or truly
despise it. The Talented Mr. Ripley opens to a group of black lines running up and down
the screen, much like the beginning of Psycho, and continues on the same level as the
classic all the way throughout the film. Matt Damon gives a chilling performance as Tom Ripley, a
1950's sociopath with a love for the piano. While borrowing a Princeton jacket from someone to
tickle the ivories, Tom runs into Mr. Greenleaf who mistakes Tom for a Princeton graduate,
therefore associating him with his playboy son, Dickie, played perfectly by Jude Law.
Mr. Greenleaf offers Tom $1,000 to go to Italy and bring back his spoiled brat. Being nothing but
a poor boy, Tom does not correct the man on his assumption and gladly takes the trip and money.
While in Italy, Tom meets up with Dickie and his betrothed Margie, Gwyneth Paltrow, convincing
them, as he had done with Mr. Greenleaf, that he knew Dickie from college. Dickie and Tom strike
up an instant friendship, and perhaps more, making each the brother the other never had.
As the story progresses, it does not turn into a typical slash and gash flick, but a
slower-paced, tense psychological thriller, putting you directly into the mind of a truly
disturbed man, and in doing so, making you actually root for the bad guy. Tom Ripley is the
obvious villain, but you just cannot help but like him. Making Tom so enjoyable is his complexity,
and the disgust you feel for the other characters. Tom is a confused man with motives that do not
depend on revenge or hatred, but love. When Tom meets his socialite companions, he believes they
actually care him. Margie puts out an "I'll be your best friend" demeanor while Dickie confuses
Tom, who is already flustered by his sexuality, into believing he loves him. Dickie is a spoiled,
rude, angry, adulterer, his girlfriend is an overbearing back-stabber, his best friend, is almost
as bad as Dickie himself, and then there's Meredith, another pampered, egocentric rich girl. With
a group of "innocent" victims like this, it is no wonder that Tom becomes the most amicable.
Anthony Minghella combines lush landscape, spine-tingling music, and deliberate pacing to
create a chilling classic. True-to-life characters, exotic locations, a conceivable story, and
the surprise of homosexual overtones, we are given a film that will, no doubt, go down in
cinematic history as a landmark masterpiece. Every performance is right on the money.
Matt Damon has that boy-next-door look that really scares you into thinking that anyone could be
a psychotic murderer. Where many actors would overdo Ripley by giving him evil grins or wide eyes
around every corner, Matt Damon underplays this and makes Tom frighteningly realistic. Along with
him, the supporting actors are excellent. Jude Law manages to pull off an American accent to
perfection and turns Dickie Greenleaf from a self-centered rich boy into a hated bastard. Gwyneth
Paltrow and Cate Blanchet are also wonderful in their contrasting female leads, Philip Seymour
Hoffman pulls off another great performance as Freddie, Dickie's counter spoiled-brat, and Jack
Davenport is incredible as Peter, the only character that is actually ultimately good-natured.
Sensational direction, superb casting, and a tight-locked script make The Talented Mr. Ripley
one of the 10 Best films of the year. A+! A chilling good time!
