The Talented Mr. Ripley

Rating:
Summary: Whoa there.... something's wrong.
Review: I just read the previous review, and it's very incorrect. Which leads me to believe that people don't pay enough attention to this movie... and it should also be watched more than once. I'll admit, the first time I saw RIPLEY I didn't like it that much. It was okay... but long and strange. But after seeing it a few more times, I wanted to own it and show it to everyone. Obviously, from the report above, people miss important things. Because everything people have stated WRONG about the move is unture. For example, the above questioning of why reporters weren't around and why police weren't wary... well, all that was in there. Just forgotten about because it's such a long movie. Have patience. Don't watch it on a night when you know you're not in the mood to think and take in everything. You really need to get into the mindset of the character - and understand why he does what he does. Otherwise you'll be like me the first time and think it wasn't worth the few hours. AND NOW I OWN IT! :)

Rating:
Summary: A great ending to an intelligent film
Review: The best part of this film to me is the fact that Damon's character in the end is still one up on all his contemporaries. Even though he is obviously a tortured soul he hasn't been bested. Now tell me when was the last time the bad guy wasn't either killed, captured, or ruined. That was a joy in and of itself for me. Not to mention that this is certainly a part of the reality of the world in which we live.

I also felt like you really got the sense of privilege that all these people had and how undeserving of their blessings they were (predominately). I may have been the only person who was actually rooting for The Talented Mr. Ripley. Also I was very surprised that Damon's character ultimately ...

I just loved his characters resourcefulness. Particularly the scene where they were all at the conert hall. I couldn't stop grinning. An intelligent piece of filmaking. Bravo!

Rating:
Summary: Law, Rome, mmmmm-good!
Review: You should definitely rent this movie for two major reasons: the glorious scenery and ambiance of Italy during the 50s. And for the star-making role of Dickie, performed unforgettably by Jude Law. As Anthony Minghella says in an interview on the DVD disc, Law is so incredibly charismatic and ravishing that only he could have played the fickle, mesmerizing,sensuous Dickie. The story is so far-fetched as to be completely unbelievable. Without giving away the plot, how was the Matt Damon character able to continue playing another character that long without being found out? Damon is completely miscast. He's too narrow and nerdy and withdrawn to ever attract the attention of some of the male characters. Gwynyth Paltrow has a throw-away role of the naive American girlfriend of Dicky's. At the end of the movie, everyone's upset with Dicky because he's a suspect in the murder of a close friend. Yet, no one, including the police, think it strange that he's not around to answer any questions. Didn't they have newspaper photographers back then to snap pictures of murder suspects. Does anyone think that even in that more innocent time, Ripley could have gotten away with murder so long and not been found out? Still, entertaining eye candy and one prays that Jude Law will be starred now in a big, glamorous Hollywood flick. Because when he vanishes halfway through this movie, the major interest for watching it vanishes, too.

Rating:
Summary: Not good.
Review: I just finished reading this book and really enjoyed it. I dashed out to rent this DVD and had to stop halfway through for the sheer irritation of it all. I finished it this morning

I didn't like this movie for two reasons. The gay card was used too fast and sends a odd message. Ripley's character is more complex and making repressed homosexuality the motive for his actions is slow pitch. It's an easy solution and dumbs him down. I'm not comfortable with the message it sends of gays being psychotics and murderers. Oh well, that's Hollywood.

The acting was over the top. It's too ham fisted and the actors were cast more for their star power instead of their actual acting ability. Oh well, that's Hollywood.

Rent this movie if you must but do not buy it. Read the book. Patricia Highsmith is a great writer and this movie doesn't do her justice. I think I just made a pun.

Rating:
Summary: Champagne and truffles in Italy
Review: I've always wanted to go to Italy. The rich cinematography of this movie has me packing my bags.

As for the film itself, I thought it was well-acted and well-written, and it is handled with a subtlety not typical of American film, which is typically in-your-face. The homoerotic angle was unexpected, but it didn't bother me, and it added an extra layer to the plot.

I enjoyed Damon's performance, but I think that Jude Law stole the show. Other killer performances were Cate Blanchett as the inconvenient woman who keeps popping up around Ripley, and Phillip Seymour-Hoffman as Freddy, the snotty friend of Dickie. I thought that Jack Davenport did a great job as Ripley's would-be boyfriend, and as the only person in the movie that treated Ripley like a person. Davenport is sexy, and I would like to see more of his movies.

When I first saw this movie, I didn't know it was based on a book....

I think the movie really showed how the rich treat the have-nots, and how they often become victims of their own snobbishness and shallowness. All of the characters had a distorted view of reality, and this movie is a study of what can happen when all of these different character flaws come to a head.

Rating:
Summary: Jealousy and Hate
Review: A very compelling story about a common civilian who gets an opportunity to travel to meet a rather famous individual, not anticipating to become involved in the life of that person, Tom Ripley. A friendship, a bond develops between them, but a woman comes become them and ruins everything that they had going for them. Soon, Matt Damon realizes that it is better to take control of the identity of Mr. Ripley, just to live life in the fast lane, at any extent. Great job of setting it in the 60s and 70s with a good appearance of the mafia. Good plot and well executed story with emotional acting give this movie what it needs.

Rating:
Summary: Where is Hitchcock when you need him?
Review: This film had the opportunity to take a Hitchcockian thriller and add social and psychological texture beyond the master's usual depth. It does a great job of dressing for the part: solid acting, smashing location shooting, good period and class detail, lush art design and costumes. Unfortunately, soggy pacing and editing do in the momentum. The director does not use the camera or other techniques to make Matt Damon's Ripley character grow from recognizably nice and naïve to full blown creepy enigmatic, like Hitchcock would have. The Ripley character achieves what he wants too soon, so that too much time afterward is spent on what he does with what he has gained and will he get caught. Plot points and characters introduced after that point lack urgency. My husband fell asleep for several minutes in the last hour and when he awoke, I did not have to say much to bring him up to speed.

Rating:
Summary: the WORST movie ever
Review: I regret those 2 houres that i spend from my life, I watch it at theatre 6 monthes ago, and I couldnt wrote anything about it because remembering it makes me feels sick, it it disgusting, BORING, with no aim or clear line, you never know what this film wants to tell you, FULL of faults and unsequenced actions, unconvinsing at all, I hated myself that I spended those 120 minute in this poor, very poor work....

Rating:
Summary: I saw this movie once.....
Review: and it was called, "Single White Female".

I had put off seeing this film for many months, and after seeing it finally, I wish I had put off seeing it for a lifetime. Everyone I had spoken to had glowing things to say about this film, and to be honest, I just don't get it. I thought it was a good film with stunning filmography and the warm, sunny Italian locales were a nice departure during this, a cold winter. I didn't read the book so, my next analysis might be slightly off base, but I thought the film was absolutely riveting until the second murder. If they had just left it at Dickie being killed, and either having Tom Ripley get away or get caught would have been better than what they came up with. The ending played out, as it were, seemed very forced and rushed by the director and writer. I could almost hear them thinking, "Ok, he has killed Dickie....now what..." The film had to end of course, but all of the great endings for this type of film have been used and the creative juices just ran out. Finally, and I surprised no one else has mentioned this, it seems inconceiveable that Tom Ripley being this calculating person that he is, would introduce himself to Meredith at the beginning of the film as Dickie Greenleaf. One has to come to the conclusion that without this chance meeting and utterly stupid move on Ripley's part, we would have no movie.

Maybe someday, I will realize that all the great films have been made and to stop sitting down to watch new films with the idea that I am about to watch "the greatest film ever." Not a criticism, just a comment.....your email flames are welcome at [e-mail].

Rating:
Summary: Patricia Highsmith is spinning in her grave....
Review: This adaptaion of the first of author Patricia Highsmith's "Ripley" series of books simply sucks out loud. While the movie sticks to some of the main plot lines of the book on which it is based, it gets totally lost as the film progresses until finally it leaves the book completely and goes off into the abyss. The "Ripley" books are some of the best crime ficiton ever written. I've read all the books and recommend them highly, but any fan of the books will want to bypass this movie. If you must see this movie, read the book first and then bring a barf bag when you see the film.