Rating: 
Summary: Fun and games among the sociopathic elite
Review: Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley is a true sociopath and Malkovich plays him chillingly. Although I had trouble understanding the basic scam that seems to be driving the plot of this movie, I have a hunch it is not really significant anyway. The movie seems to be primarily a metaphor for modern (postmodern?) life and the seduction of an honest (but weak and dying) man by evil. Dougray Scott plays the "innocent" party. His moral struggle and agony is constantly displayed on his face. It is hard to imagine how he as an actor could produce all this intense emotion when he is getting nothing but deadpan understatement from Malkovich. But their partnership on the screen is truly eerie. And the stony coldness of the Berlin setting (with its unforgetable associations with nazi evil) only adds to the general atmosphere of creepiness. Although I don't know if his line comes from Highsmith's novel, it does seem consistent with the existential aura in which she casts her killers to have Scott's character (at his most distraught) ask Ripley, "Why me? Why did you choose me?" Ripley's answer would have done Camus proud.It's hard to picture Malkovich as the elder version of Matt Damon's Ripley (from The Talented Mr. Ripley). There is no sense of Ripley as the romantically disappointed lost soul committing murders in spite of his earnest desire to be socially accepted. Malkovich "thrives" socially--has a wife (or lover), and even enjoys harpsicord music. It's just not clear what he "gets" from all his success. That, to me, is the definition of a sociopath. DVD extras can only be accessed via computer/internet.
Rating:
Summary: "The most interesting thing about doing something terrible."
Review: The actor, John Malkovich, interests me. At the heart of my curiosity lies this feeling that Malkovich really is a chameleon. Too many actors can just act one role--over and over again. Malkovich, however, is different in every role. So when I saw that he starred in "Ripley's Game", well, I just had to see it. "Ripley's Game" is based on a Patricia Highsmith novel. Malkovich plays the main character--Ripley--and it's a role that allows him to stretch. Ripley is an effete art lover, living in Italy in a beautiful villa that's loaded with art, and Ripley's musician lover helps occupy Ripley's simply perfect life. Ripley, however, earned his money the violent way, and his past includes some rather unsavoury characters. One day, one of these characters, (Ray Winstone) shows up and demands that Ripley do him a small favour (and this involves bumping off a rival club owner--a Russian--in Berlin). This is where a mild-mannered, gentle picture framer--desperate for a little cash--comes into the scheme of things. The character of Ripley is problematic--he's a delicate, sensitive man who obviously enjoys the finer things in life--souffles, concerts, fine wines, and yet he's also a brutal killer. This is the sort of role that has to be handled very carefully--if a less-than-extremely competent actor took this role, the result would be a cliche-ridden film with a preposterous main character. Cavani's directing combined with the subtle talents of Malkovich avoided all the obvious pitfalls. I asked myself if Malkovich makes a believable baddie--and the answer is yes, I think he does. He carries off the role by a certain tone in his voice, and a certain look in his eyes. It's entirely possible to see our anti-hero, the beret-clad, Ripley garroting someone to death, and then being mildly annoyed if his expensive hand-made suit is a bit ruffled as a result. He's amoral, detached, and yet, there remains ... something--perhaps a grain of curiosity at the sacrifice of another. Four stars for this film--with one star deducted for an ending that could be seen a mile off--displacedhuman
Rating:
Summary: Malkovich at his best
Review: The movie is by no means a masterpiece, however I am sure most would agree that John Malkovich's sly delivery of the Ripley charector will make anyone who is a fan of cinema ignore all that lacking glamore, that usually comes from bigger hollywood productions. Malkovich is the best part of this movie and to be honest that is easily enough. He appears to be born to play this role. See this movie if you like movies today his acting/charector is like a thunderbolt, he grows on you and doesn't let go.
Rating: 
Summary: Wonderfully evil
Review: There seems to be a trend over the last decade or so of creating evil protagonists who embrace high culture or some spiritual/philosophical outlook, usually with a Zen flavour, whilst committing the most horrid acts of violence. It could be that this is not a new trend, that it has just struck me as one. In any event, I am referring to films such as Pulp Fiction and Ghost Dog. I'm usually quite put off by what seems to be an intent to portray evil as a potentially transcendent experience. In 'Ripley's Game', this theme is so well done, that instead of the irritation I usually feel, I found myself drawn into the story and rooting for the bad guy. Tom Ripley, played by John Malkovich, lives in a grand mansion in the beautiful North of Italy, surrounded by stunning artwork. A well placed classical music score complements the beauty of the film. Ripley is a psychopath, who together with his former associate and trainee of sorts, seduces the innocent frame maker of the village to commit murder. And what is so bad about that, you ask yourself? The targets for murder are bad guys, and the rewards reaped are so grand - the music is so nice, the villa is so tempting, the food so refined. Is it really so wrong to commit murder, you ask yourself, when you can live such a grand life, so above the plight of ordinary mortals, so removed from a life of daily toil, so enveloped in the finer things that life has to offer. There is one moment in the film which serves to counteract all of this. Watch it and see. The acting is excellent, Ray Winstone particularly convincing as Ripley's ex-trainee Reeves. Malkovich, though very manneristic, fits extremely well into his role. It's quite a slow paced film, especially in the beginning. It is certainly not the typical fast paced Hollywood thriller. Though the bodies do start to pile up at some point, it was a more cerebral presentation of violence than one is used to these days. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Sophisticated cold-bloodedness...
Review: Tom Ripley re-emerges once again after twenty years. His character has matured - he is a man of means and taste, living with a young and beautiful Italian harpsichordist in a lavish mansion, filled with classical art and tasteful objects -a man with a seething dark side, a willingness to remove anyone who would get in his way. There is a cold sophistication about this man, a man who on the surface, appears as if he has reached a stage in human development above the rest of us mortals. He reminds me of Hannibal Lecter - extremely intelligent, arrogant though displays a high level of refinement. One pierces this thin façade, however, and discovers not a man at all, but a monster. John Malkovich as Tom Ripley was perfect casting. Malkovich seemed to have an uncanny insight into this character. There's no overacting, a melodramatic portrayal of a conscienceless killer, but a subtle performance, which captured the irony and restrained evil of such a man. What makes the character of Ripley so chilling is that sophisticated cold-bloodedness', the fact that he doesn't have a conscience, and has been aware of this deficit in his personality since childhood. The character actually mentions this fact in the film, and said that when he discovered this deficit in himself, it troubled him. But this is how he gets along in the world, and it works for him. One of Ripley's old colleagues looks him up in Italy to settle a past debt. The man wants someone killed, and needs a person outside the game to do the deed to maintain a safe distance. A neighbour of Ripley's made the mistake of insulting him in front of a group of people. This man is dieing of leukaemia and would be the perfect "innocent" to do the crime. Ripley, in his usual seductive and manipulative manner, sets it in motion, turning a dieing family man into a potential killer. How can a 'normal' man learn to live with himself after committing a murder for hire? Can a man lose his conscience over time after committing a series of abominable acts? As Ripley says in the film, "You know its funny, after doing a terrible thing, you tend to forget about it in a few days." This film is a well-made thriller with a believable and compelling performance by John Malkovich. The first instalment "The Talented Mr. Ripley" was indeed a good film in its own right, but this one, to my mind, surpasses it, in terms of style and performance.
Rating:
Summary: Superb psychological thriller
Review: Twice as enjoyable as "The Talented Mr. Ripley", and probably shot for a tenth of the price, this later installment in the Ripley saga can happily dispense with the coming-of-age angst and crank up the mature Ripley's violent menace. Living a quiet life in a villa near Venice, Ripley is called upon by an old partner to arrange an assassination. After some consideration he proposes a total innocent for the dangerous task - a local picture framer against whom Ripley has a grudge. Ripley also knows the man is terminally ill and will need money to provide for his wife and son. He looks to be a suitable pawn but, of course, not everything goes as planned . . . John Malkovich brings a chilling and seductive elegance to the role of Ripley which Matt Damon could never provide. It's essential here, because what's important about this story is Ripley's utter amorality and dangerous vanity, and how both traits lead him into a situation in which his self-conception is ultimately challenged. The screenplay has just the right mix of psychological sophistication and edge-of-your-seat plotting, and Liliana Cavani's assured (and occasionally bloodthirsty) direction makes the most of it. In the excellent cast, Ray Winstone is particularly memorable as Ripley's violently inept offsider, Reeves.
Rating:
Summary: It draws you in and becomes mesmerizing
Review: What can I say but Malkovich??? A stellar performance by the man with beautiful lighting and direction as well. I, for one, could not stand The Talented Mr. Ripley with Matt Damon but this movie is great!!! Again, maybe it's my love for Malkovich as an actor but this movie is really good. My only wish is that there was a little less time drag between some sequences and instead included a little more storyline background. Otherwise, a fantastic film.
Rating:
Summary: COLD-HEARTED BUT SAUVE CRIME IN BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN COUNTRY..
Review: You'll recall Mr. Ripley from Matt Damon's "The Talented Mr. Ripley", which was a movie I had enjoyed for its rhythm but not for its very predictable plot. This sequel of sorts, with Malkovich playing a more mature Mr. Ripley, is in a similar vein -- not so much of a proforma thriller but more of a field trip inside a criminal's black mind -- but it holds its own pretty well. As the effortless screenplay sways between the sprawling Italian countryside and the busy architecture of Berlin, we are somehow left rooting for a couple of mincing murderous creeps. Malkovich's rendition of a mature Ripley sports a fascinatingly life-like rhythm. Our crook leads an immaculate life of the perfect gentleman connoisseur. We find him bicycling, practicing yoga, and, yes, sewing in bed. Even after torching a corpse-filled Mercedes, he takes time out to call his florist. Lecter Hannibal, anyone? The film is deliciously subtle and yet suspenseful enough to hold your attention for its entire duration. It's a pretty decent rental.
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