The Talented Mr. Ripley
OVERALL:
ASPECT RATIO(S)
16x9 Widescreen (1.85:1)
SOUND MIX
FEATURES
STUDIO
RECOMMENDATION
Dolby Digital 5.1
- Audio Commentary with Director ��Anthony Minghella
- Cast & Crew Interviews
- Inside The Talented Mr. Ripley ��Featurette
- Making-of Soundtrack Featurette
- 2 Music Videos
- 2 Theatrical Trailers
Paramount
Buy it!
GRADING SCALE
Film
Features
Audio
Video
Anthony Minghella (THE ENGLISH PATIENT) wrote and directed this movie. It's based on a novel and follows that pretty closely. The film was shot in Italy and it looks fantastic. It's nice to go into a film where you know the director and the cast have Oscar pre-fixes. They all deliver in this exciting, dark drama.
This is one of the few times where you root for the bad guy. Damon is so smooth has Ripley that you can't help but to wish he gets away with everything. He has almost everyone fooled in the movie. He says later in the film, "I'd rather be a fake somebody, than a rich nobody." I'm sure we've all said those words at some point in our lives.
Features
It's official, this dvd is now the most featured of any Paramount title. That honor used to belong to "Sleepy Hollow", but this disc has better stuff. The interviews are really great to listen to. Not much fluff, not much movie scenes, just good old fashioned conversation about the film. A 20-minute featurette and a lively Minghella track round out the meat of the package.
Audio
A quiet film like this never sounded so great. This movie is filled with music and it plays like you're at a concert. Sounds bounce from one side to the other and everything is crystal clear. You hear every bell and whistle on this track. Great, great mix.
Video
Another pristine transfer from the Paramount folk. They continue to produce the best 16x9 transfers around. Sorry Columbia. Colors are golden and rich, and the scenery in Italy literally jumps out and smacks you in the face. A very pretty picture.
Overall
Definitely one of my favorite movies of 1999. The first half is light and cheery, while the second just turns in to pure darkness. It also helps that this is a disc loaded with extras. Highly recommended.