Ripley's Game (2002)

Director:

Liliana Cavani

Writers:

Charles McKeown (written by) and
Liliana Cavani (written by) ...

Release Date:

7 February 2003 (Italy)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Older. Wiser. More talented.

Plot:

Tom Ripley persuades a man to commit a murder for a large sum of money. The situation goes out of control, and that man must escape trouble.

Plot Keywords:

Murder | Money | Train Guard | Breakfast | Anti Hero

Awards:

3 nominations

Cast

Ray Winstone	...	Reeves
John Malkovich	...	Tom Ripley
Uwe Mansshardt	...	Terry
Hanns Zischler	...	Art Dealer
Paolo Paoloni	...	Franco
Maurizio Lucà	...	Franco's Assistant
Dougray Scott	...	Jonathan Trevanny
Evelina Meghnagi	...	Maria
Chiara Caselli	...	Luisa Harari
Lena Headey	...	Sarah Trevanny
Sam Blitz	...	Matthew Trevanny
Emidio La Vella	...	Shoe Shop Owner (as Emidio Lavella)
Lutz Winde	...	Ernst
Nikolaus Deutsch	...	Dr. Wentzel
Wilfried Zander	...	Belinsky

Also Known As:

Il gioco di Ripley (Italy)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong violence and language, some sexuality.

Runtime:

110 min | Argentina:112 min

Country:

Italy | UK | USA

Language:

English | German | Italian

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | South Korea:15 | Portugal:M/16 | New Zealand:R16 | Netherlands:12 (TV version) (slightly cut) | Netherlands:16 | Australia:MA | Brazil:16 | Finland:K-15 | Norway:15 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:R | Germany:16 | Argentina:13 | Ireland:18 | Canada:18A

Filming Locations:

Aquarium, Tiergarten, Berlin, Germany

Company:

Cattleya

Trivia:

This films serves as a sequel to The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999), in which Matt Damon (born 1970) played Ripley. John Malkovich (born 1953) took over the role of Ripley in Ripley's Game (2002). The gap in age between Malkovich and Damon, The (17 years) roughly matches the gap between the publication date of the books The Talented Mr. Ripley, The (1955) and Ripley's Game, The (1974).

Goofs:

Continuity: The egg stain on Ripley's sofa disappears between shots.

Quotes:

Jonathan Trevanny: One of them's still alive.
Tom Ripley: How do you know?
Jonathan Trevanny: Well, I heard it on the world news.
Tom Ripley: Jesus. I always figured you for a talk radio man. Okay, well, I guess I didn't strangle him long enough. It's not like a garrote comes with a manual.
Jonathan Trevanny: Ah, one of them got a very, very good look at me.
Tom Ripley: Jonathan, that's the first rule of the game. Don't ever worry about anything you can't control, ever. Anyway, I don't think they can trace us here and if they get close, I'll let you know.
Jonathan Trevanny: What about my family? I'm just worried about my family.
[...]

Movie Connections:

References "Candid Camera" (1953)

Soundtrack:

The Last Time

Dougray Scott at the Center of a Fine Neo-Noir

The 2002 version of RIPLEY'S GAME compares favorably to Wim Wenders's film from 1977, THE AMERICAN FRIEND. Director Cavani is adept at staging scenes so that they are always interesting and compelling. The film has a sure sense of forward thrust, which is indispensible for this type of material. And Cavani conjures up some superior acting from all the principals in the cast. It is easy to be impressed with John Malkovich's quiet malevolence as Ripley. The mannered actor rivets his character from the opening, a marvelously paced sequence leading to a swift climax that hooks the viewer for the rest of the film. Ray Winstone and Lena Headey are more than adequate in their support as well. If Ripley is the brain of the story, it is Jonathan, Ripley's tormented victim, who must be the heart of it. And this is why RIPLEY'S GAME is so fascinating and involving. We are drawn to the machinations and danger, but also moved by Jonathan's tragic implication. As good as the superb Bruno Ganz is with Wenders, Dougray Scott in the present film may even be slightly better. This is the kind of role that demands everything from an actor, and Scott delivers it all with complete conviction. It's an example of perfect casting, and Scott deserves to be applauded for it.

Beautifully shot by Alfio Contini, and scored with genius by Ennio Morricone, RIPLEY'S GAME does not quite approach the stylistic brilliance of Wenders's mournful cityscapes in THE AMERICAN FRIEND. But Malkovich's performance is at least the equal of Dennis Hopper's and Dougray Scott gives Bruno Ganz more than worthy competition.

Highly recommended.