The Talented Mr. Ripley

Rating:
Summary: Hitchcock would be very proud
Review: Anthony Minguella's follow up to "The English Patient" is a haunting, devious work that is reminiscent to most of Alfred Hitchcock's best movies. Although "Mr. Ripley" is a "mainstream" Hollywood work, it definitley does not play like it. In fact, this is the reason I believe "Mr. Ripley" has been popular with critics and film lovers but not so well recieved with your average movie fan.

Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley. A poor man living in New York who is sent by a millionaire ship-builder to recover his flamboyant son in beautiful Italy. Ripley is, from the very beginning, a fake. A man who lies about virtually everything and puts his master impersonation/forgery skills to good use.

When he arrives in Italy he quickly finds the outlandish son played superbly by Jude Law. He becomes friends with him and his girlfriend (Gwyneth Paltrow) and before long is living out a fantasy life in Italy.

It becomes apparent about half way through this movie that Tom Ripley is a genuinly twisted man who is willing to do anything to keep his auspicious position. This includes numerous murders, deception and total cleverness.

The Talented Mr. Ripley is quite shocking in the sense that the villain eventually prevails. There are some great suspense scenes along the way and the acting is all first class. Damon turns in a spine tingling performance that easily outshines his other great acting job in "Good Will Hunting." In that film he played a kind of hooligan genius, in "Mr. Ripley" he is an utterly sinister genius that is far more affecting. Jude Law got an Oscar nomination for his performance. He's not that good (he was better in Gattaca) but he still does a decent job as the debonaire, spoiled brat. Paltrow is fine and Philip Seymour Hoffman turns in another great (yet unnoticed) performance as a lethargic, pretensious rich kid.

Minguella does a wonderful job of keeping the story moving. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" sometimes risks collapsing under its own weight but Minguella knows what he is doing when holding the two and a half hour film together.

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a sinister masterpiece. It reaches back into the past with a very film-noir approach which is both welcome and appreciated in the current sad-state of Hollywood filmaking. Appreciate the film for what it is and don't be too alarmed by the fact that the villain is the character that you are forced to sympathize with. "Mr. Ripley" is different and should be embraced for this, not condemned by people who want the usual Hollywood formula movie. If you want to watch run of the mill Hollywood fluff, watch the "Cider House Rules." If you want evil genius watch "Ripley."

Rating:
Summary: If only.....a visually stunning moraltiy play
Review: From the beginning of this tale, we are made aware of how seemingly innocuous acts can lead to horrific outcomes. In Mr. Ripley's case, one small decision led to another, and then another, and now he's done some very bad things...and there is no end in sight. Viewing this movie, I was reminded of Moll Flanders who consistenly turns to the reader and says, "And Dear Reader, what would you do? "

Maybe you wouldn't have used another's jacket or told that first lie. Or maybe you would have. Or, maybe you wouldn't have accepted the job from Dickie's father or, maybe you would have. Or, maybe you wouldn't have told Dickie how you felt and seen him grow cold, or, maybe you would have.

This alluring movie leads one to care what happens to Mr. Ripley. His boyish charm and Dickie's perverse ways make the viewer want Ripley to "win" their struggle. Soon, you are caught up in his problems. You want him to escape his tormentor, the police, his past.

The movie is visually stunning. The only reason I can suppose Hollywood gave it little notice at the Oscars this year (it should have done as well as 'The English Patient') is because the film hits too close to home. Sadly, most people do what is expedient and addresses their immediate interests. Ripley is the Everyman for our Age.

Rating:
Summary: A thriller with minor flaws, but worth buying
Review: Truth may fall by the wayside in Anthony Minghella's adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novel, but beauty-- particularly the odd aspects of America's class system that are based on beauty-- is everywhere. The film itself is beautiful, taking in the nearly-naked Italians and Americans littering the beaches, the smoky and sexy jazz clubs, and the spectacles of Rome and Venice as a backdrop for the evil goings on (another reviewer has aptly called the style "travel-mag porn").

Into this care-free world of rich American expatriates in Italy comes the conniving Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), looking nerdy and pale. Posing as a friend of rich boy Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), he manages to insinuate himself into the lives of Dickie and his fiancée Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow, ever the Miramax Girl). The fun and games quickly turn deadly, and soon Tom, an utterly amoral cad, must stay one step ahead of the police, Marge, and Dickie's father, shifting between identities and trying to keep a fragile structure of lies from collapsing.

The movie's pacing actually improves on that of the book. Patricia Highsmith's writing style can be sometimes awkward, and Minghella has mostly done away with the worst of her excesses. However, the movie is still not quite tight enough; 20 or 30 minutes could be safely chopped from the film.

More problematic to Minghella's screenplay is his making Tom overtly gay, shouting out what Highsmith knew she only needed to hint at. Simply put, Tom is so incapable of love and so chameleonic that making him gay and in love with Dickie is entirely wrong for his character. Tom certainly loves Dickie's life, and would take advantage of any sexual situation he could manipulate for his own ends, but Tom is so lacking in moral structure that he should be beyond any kind of sexual definition. So, minus one star for Minghella's bad misreading of Tom as a character.

But this movie still earns its other four stars for its hard look at how the U.S. classes its people not only into have and have-nots, but into the charismatic and the drab. Dickie and Marge treat their wealth and prettiness as birthrights, alternately accepting Tom's adoration and treating him with casual, almost unknowing contempt.

And if the scenery and themes weren't enough, the souped-up jazz soundtrack is marvelous, and Jude Law and Matt Damon can actually sing. Just a terrific work by cast, director, and cinematographers all around; if only Minghella as screenwriter had reined himself in a bit, this would easily get five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Acceptable, if under lenient expectations.
Review: This is one of those "off-mainstream" movies. It deals with male homosexuality, self-confrontation and other lots of sensitive, cold issues. If the plot is more fast-paced and full of suspense, I think this really deserves 5 stars.

But the thing is that I nearly fell asleep watching it. Boring, dull... I feel this movie is too long, perhaps if they shorten it and spice it up, this review will be more positive.

Rating:
Summary: Best Movie of 1999!
Review: Again, It proves once again that the Academy Awards is biased and conservative. Both Anthony Minghella and Matt Damon deserve a Best Director and Best Actor award and also the Best Film award. But the Academy Awards tried to avoid this film just because of its senstive, homosexual content. Disappointing, isn't it?

It is a movie of perfection, the script, the direction, the acting, the music, the costume design, the cinematography, the production design are all of very high standard. I have watched it for three times but still eager to watch it. I rate it 9.5 out of 10. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Worth watching
Review: Many people have not yet picked up on the fact that this movie is a remake of a 1960's (Italian ?) movie "Purple Noon".

Matt Damon plays a very disturbed character, who is caught up living a lie that starts off relatively innocuously, but takes on very evil overtones as the movie progresses.

The scenery in the movie is awesome. The actors work well together to produce a good thriller.

The only critisism is that the movie could have been 20 minutes shorter, without sacrificing the quality of the movie.

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful in all aspects of the word!
Review: Let's get to the technical wizardry first. This film has a "look" that sets it apart from every other film released in 1999. The cinematography makes the locations, as well as the cast, look picture-perfect. I don't think there is any bad lighting, unnecessary shadows, incomplete scenes, or choppy angles to be found in any frame of this film. A treat for the eyes is TTMR!

Gabriel Yared's score is magnificent. It is subtle yet ominous at the same time. Reminiscent of the best work of Herrmann, Yared never overpowers a scene. The music effectively supports every machination of the title character in his efforts to fulfill his perceived "destiny."

As for the acting, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchet display the guiet elegance that has garnered them award-winning aclaim. Phillip Seymour Hoffman shows why he is a actor to reckon with. Jude Law is mesmerizing as the object of Ripley's obsession.

And Matt Damon? He took a gamble in taking the role of this most sinister character. He pulls it off, magnificently. Ripley is never one to which the audience will sympathize, but he will not be condemned either. Matt Damon as Ripley is like the Pied Piper. He is leading us, as well as the on-screen characters, down the path that HE intends us to follow.

Thus, final praise should be heaped upon Anthony Maghella for putting this excellent film together. He is the artisan who took Patricia Highsmith's literary classic, added his own touches, and made a magnificent film.

Great is the Talented MR. MANGHELA!

Rating:
Summary: The Wonderful Mr. Ripley
Review: This Movie is a masterpiece!. One of my Top 10 of All time. Matt Damon is excellent as Tom Ripley a poor man who wants to take over the Life of Dickie Greenleaf{ An Excellent Jude Law}.

The Supporting cast Was Also Excellent! Gwetheyn Paltrow in an Oscar deserving performance is so Wonderful. Cate Blanchett is wonderful as well.

I have only 1 complaint of TMR is the awful Singing by Matt Damon and Jude Law{ it was VERY BAD! } This was look over at the Oscars but this is the Best movie Of the Year.

Hats off to Anthony Mingalla for brining us a modern day masterpiece!

Talented Mr Ripley: A+

Rating:
Summary: As Beautiful as it is Vicious
Review: If self esteem were measured on a circular scale, Tom Ripley would be constantly flickering between zero and extreme arrogance. He is confident in his abilities as a deciever, but can't trust himself as a human being.

Anthony Minghella's The Talented Mr.Ripley is a near masterpiece. The first 30 minutes of this film are slow going, with the beautiful scenery and an enigmatic performance by Jude Law just about holding our attention. Then Minghella raises the stakes by introducing some edgy homoerotic scenes that hieghten the dramatic tension, then the shocking first murder takes place, and its at this point that the film develops into a taught phsycological study of a man who "would rather be a fake somebody then a real nobody". Much like Matt Damon's superb and subtle central performance, this film is slow to reveal itself. I haven't given away any spoilers here, this much is available from the film's ads.

The flaw in The Talented Mr.Riply is that the audience's sympathy for the Tom is limited. His loneliness is never as compelling as say Travis Bickle's was in Taxi Driver. The audience I saw it with seemed to treat him more like a colorful sociopath then a damaged human being. But thankfully Damon does give Ripley that necessary added dimension in two key places. One is on the boat, the other is in the harrowing final scene. In those scenes his pain is almost unbearable.

The English Patient which is perhaps the best romantic film of the 1990s is definitly a hard act to follow. It is interesting that Mingella has chosen something completely different this time. The result is a fascinating and gripping film, but its also one that is easier to admire than to love.

Rating:
Summary: Mr. Ripley is insane!
Review: I recommend The Talented Mr. Ripley to those Matt Damon fans all over the world. Matt does a wonderful job as Mr. Ripley making him as evil and mischevious as he was in the novel. Matt bring Mr. Ripley to life as soon as the first brudal muder is commited. This movie is definatly one of the best thrillers ever. The story is great, but gets a little confusing at times. Pay attention and keep focus, and you will enjoy it as much as I did.