The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers (WGA):

Patricia Highsmith (novel)
Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

How far would you go to become someone else.

Plot:

In late 1950's New York, Tom Ripley, a young underachiever, is sent to Europe to retrieve a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy, named Dickie Greenleaf. But when the errand fails, Ripley kills the playboy and begins to assume his life.

Plot Keywords:

Italy | 1950s | Playboy | Love | Piano

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 52 nominations

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Tom Ripley
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Marge Sherwood
Jude Law	...	Dickie Greenleaf
Cate Blanchett	...	Meredith Logue
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Freddie Miles
Jack Davenport	...	Peter Smith-Kingsley
James Rebhorn	...	Herbert Greenleaf
Sergio Rubini	...	Inspector Roverini
Philip Baker Hall	...	Alvin MacCarron
Celia Weston	...	Aunt Joan
Fiorello	...	Fausto (as Rosario Fiorello)
Stefania Rocca	...	Silvana
Ivano Marescotti	...	Colonnello Verrecchia
Anna Longhi	...	Signora Buffi
Alessandro Fabrizi	...	Sergeant Baggio

Also Known As:

The Mysterious Yearning Secretive Sad Lonely Troubled Confused Loving Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate Talented Mr. Ripley (USA) (complete title)
The Strange Mr. Ripley (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Czech Republic:15 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Miramax International

Trivia:

Matt Damon actually sings the song "My Funny Valentine".

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: After Tom's first meeting with Marge and Dickie on the beach, Dickie tells Marge he doesn't remember Tom from earlier, and Marge mouths the word "funny", but nothing is heard.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tom Ripley: If I could just go back... if I could rub everything out... starting with myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Saturday Night Live: Ben Affleck/Fiona Apple (#25.13)" (2000)

Soundtrack:

MY FUNNY VALENTINE

The Talented Mr. Damon is Great in this Tense Psychological Thriller.

There are a lot of reasons to see THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY. It is not your typical, run of the mill Hollywood thriller. In fact, it is refreshingly chilling and Matt Damon turns in what is by far his best acting job to date. He is able to shed the "Will Hunting" image here with a juicy role. It is a personality twisting story unlike, say, SINGLE WHITE FEMALE, which was highly conventional and more of a slasher picture. I would equate it more with Ingmar Bergman's PERSONA. The audience is never totally clear as to why "Tom Ripley" wants to consume another personality which is all the more mysterious.

Anthony Minghella, director of ENGLISH PATIENT, sets the stage in late 1950's Italy, an exotic locale which adds to the suspense. As the film progresses and it becomes more apparent there is something deeply wrong with Damon, you almost begin to root for him to get away with his malicious acts. He is so effective as the quietly psychotic Ripley because his actions do not seem planned. He just kind of takes what is not his without reason.

The beauty of Rome, Venice, and Gwyneth Paltrow tends to hide the inner turmoil going on with Damon's character and Jude Law is oblivious to it most of the time. The madness builds slowly and Law, as the target of Damon's consuming desire, realizes it too late. Law has the looks and mannerisms of a 50's matinee idol which fits perfectly within the context of the film.

Some people have said THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY is like a Hitchcock film for the 90's. I would have to agree. Damon's ability to portray a fully realized, human leach is amazing at times and the fact that I actually had some sympathy for him proves it. There are scenes of utter shock and dismay, but it is the drowning build to the inevitable murder and mayhem that grabs you.

RATING: ***1/2