DIRECTOR: Anthony Minghella
MPAA RATING: R
RUNNING TIME: 140 Minutes
STUDIO: Paramount
| The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) |
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| CAST: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Cate Blanchett
DIRECTOR: Anthony Minghella MPAA RATING: R RUNNING TIME: 140 Minutes STUDIO: Paramount |
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When first taking a glance at Tom Ripley, you wouldn't think that this guy is a psychopathic killer. He has the look of a loner who has no friends, but is someone who just wants to fit in. Tom Ripley has so many emotions in this movie. They range from anywhere from happiness, to loneliness, to jealousy, to psycho.
Tom Ripley's talent is that he is able to impersonate just about anyone. When a concerned father sends Ripley to Italy to bring his rich, bratty son, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), back to New York, Ripley begins to take a liking to Italy and Law. That's where the transformation from Ripley to Greenleaf begins. All of the twists and turns in the plot are the makings for a very good thriller. Matt Damon pulls the psychotic loner character perfectly. He's believable. Jude Law does a terrific job as Greenleaf. Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Law's girlfriend, offers a presence on screen, but her role is pretty standard. And Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett offer strong supporting performances. 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. |
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