Ripley's Game (2002)

A dying family man in need of money is persuaded to assassinate a European crime boss.

Director:

Liliana Cavani

Writers:

Charles McKeown, Liliana Cavani

Stars:

John Malkovich, Dougray Scott, Lena Headey

3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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 Dutsch	...	Dr. Wentzel (as Nikolaus Deutsch)
Wilfried Zander	...	Belinsky

Storyline

Tom Ripley - cool, urbane, wealthy, and murderous - lives in a villa in the Veneto with Luisa, his harpsichord-playing girlfriend. A former business associate from Berlin's underworld pays a call asking Ripley's help in killing a rival. Ripley - ever a student of human nature - initiates a game to turn a mild and innocent local picture framer into a hit man. The artisan, Jonathan Trevanny, who's dying of cancer, has a wife, young son, and little to leave them. If Ripley draws Jonathan into the game, can Ripley maintain control? Does it stop at one killing? What if Ripley develops a conscience? Luisa prepares for her concert.

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Plot Keywords:

villa | villain played by lead actor | art forgery | based on novel | character name in title | 

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Taglines:

Older. Wiser. More talented.

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong violence and language, some sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Fine Line Features [United States]

Country:

UK Italy USA

Language:

English German Italian

Release Date:

7 February 2003 (Italy)

Also Known As:

El amigo americano

Filming Locations:

Germany

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

€210,408 (Italy), 9 February 2003, Limited Release

Company Credits

Production Co:

Baby Films, Cattleya, Mr. Mudd

Technical Specs

Runtime:

110 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color (Fujicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

John Malkovich remarked in an interview with the BBC that before starring in this film, he came close to directing The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) and that he was in negotiations to obtain the rights to direct a remake of the first "Talented Mr Ripley" adaptation, Purple Noon (1960).

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Goofs

In the scene between Reeves and Ripley in Ripley's kitchen, there are two fried eggs on Reeves's plate. However, when Reeves is sat down in the library, there are three eggs on his plate.

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Quotes

Tom Ripley: You know the most interesting thing about doing something terrible? After a few days, you can't even remember it.

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Connections

Referenced in Be Kind Rewind (2008)

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Soundtracks

Host of Seraphim
Written by Lisa Gerrard & Brendan Perry
Used by kind permission of Universal/Momentum Music Ltd.
Performed by Dead Can Dance
Courtesy of 4AD
By Arrangement with Warner Special Products

User Reviews

Never on the big screen, let it live long on DVD

`Coming soon to a theatre near you'. It's a phrase we hear or read in upwards of 7 times before each new movie we watch in the theatre. The trailers that precede this announcement come with both anticipation and expectation.

I remember sitting in a theatre, what seems like years ago now, and viewing the trailer for Ripley's Game starring John Malkovich. I wondered if it was a sequel to the Matt Damon vehicle, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and I raced home to find that was exactly the case. Looking back, I cannot remember a date being flashed across the screen as to when Ripley's Game would be accessible, but usually it only takes a few months before our thirsts are quenched.

Then came 2004, and my local DVD provider began to advertise Ripley's Game as an upcoming release on disc. At first, I couldn't remember why the name was so familiar, but after a quick internet check, I found that two years later, Ripley's Game was being released without ever hitting a theatrical venue in North America. Too bad.

Ripley's Game gives us an older Tom Ripley. Gone are the chiseled good looks and innocent smile of Matt Damon and in are the glacial stares of the stoic Malkovich. When we catch up to Tom he is still the con man brokering an art forgery transaction that leaves one dead and Ripley unamused. We quickly forward ahead three years to Italy where we find Ripley in his favorable environment. Tom is living in a luxurious villa and has a woman he completely adores.

Ripley's old life soon catches up with him and a former associate looks to Tom for help with some Russian mafia types. Ripley suggests the use of an ‘innocent' for the job and gives him the name of a fellow countryman Tom has a slight distaste. Soon the novice is coerced into contract killings becomes part of Ripley's dastardly web of deception and murder, and the two join forces to first complete a contract and then later to save each other's lives.

It's great to have a film that picks up a fascinating character years after. Wouldn't you like to see what Forrest Gump is up to in 2004? Or what about Elliot from E.T. or Michael Douglas from Fatal Attraction? Without parading sequels that try and catch a character one second from the time the final frame of the original finished, wouldn't it be fresh to check in on some of our faves? Well Ripley's Game does just that.

As Ripley, Malkovich gives us an incredibly restrained performance. He kept me thinking that this is probably what Hannibal Lecter would be like if he had a family or other interests. Whether he is talking to someone about the restoration of a vintage piano or killing someone in a train's restroom, his pulse never seems to race nor does he seem terribly concerned about the chaos left in his wake.

Even when he surprises us by showing up to help the same man he pulled into his world, we don't see it as guilt or an attempt to show dominance in the world of criminal activity. Instead, Malkovich projects a man who is just going about his business no matter what the reprehensible activity may encompass.

Ripley's game is an exceptional film that unfortunately got ignored by the Hollywood studio system. Maybe they were too busy with the Lord of the Rings trilogies. But, if I were to add up all the movie tickets for movies like Eurotrip, 50 First Dates and Starsky & Hutch, it even seems more of a waste that I wasn't given the opportunity to get comfortable in the local multi-plex for Ripley.

www.gregsrants.com