The Talented Mr. Ripley: Review By slysnide

Based on the 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith, this 1999 film adaptation by Anthony Minghella tells the same tale in the same setting, with only minor differences, including the addition of a character, and the small expanded role of another.

Matt Damon stars as Tom Ripley, a young guy struggling to make a living in fifties New York City. But after taking a friend's place as a piano player at a party in a borrowed Princeton jacket, Ripley finds himself off to Italy to persuade a wealthy ship builder's (James Rebhorn) son Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) to return home to work in the family business, having falsely believed Ripley to be both Dickie's classmate and friend. Despite the error, Ripley decides to get involved with Dickie's life abroad where he's been living a life of luxury with his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) on his father's tab.

What starts out as an odd friendship changes into something slightly more sinister, as not only does Ripley have no intention of informing Dickie of his father's wishes, but he seems to have an affinity for Dickie's lifestyle, and Dickie himself, having done all possible to duplicate Dickie, from his talent in music, right down to his appearance. However, Ripley doesn't come on as a con man, nor is one by profession.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman co-stars as Dickie's friend Freddie Miles, who becomes susp*cious of Ripley's sudden ascension from an out of place stranger from another country and social class to a brotherly figure with expert knowledge of his foreign surroundings. Despite his short screen time--which is truly regretful--the role earned him a best supporting actor award from the National Society of Film Critics.

And in two brief roles are Jack Davenport as the expanded character of Peter Smith-Kingsley--the jazz pianist friend of Marge who comes to have an affinity for Ripley--and Cate Blanchett as the added character Meredith Logue--a wealthy heiress whom Ripley met upon arrival in Italy under the false name Dickie Greenleaf. As expected, both characters complicate Ripley's situation with Dickie and Marge, and each add a layer of intrigue as to why Ripley continues to deepen himself in their lives under false pretenses.

Throughout the film the viewer is just as torn as Marge as to what Ripley's aim truly is. For he clearly undergoes a change in personality and charisma for no apparent reason. He just becomes fixated on being a major part of Dickie Greenleaf's life. And one thing leads to another, and one susp*cion of his motives leads to another. Thus eventually adding a sinister layer to Ripley's intentions, as this isn't a planned affair, but rather a deep rooted psychological issue engrained upon meeting Dickie and his friends, which grows over the months that he spends intertwined in their lives. Hence, the main source of intrigue in the film, for there are no real subplots or serious external troubles relating to their travels, as it's all from Ripley's perspective.

With stunning locales in Rome, Venice, and San Remo, Italy, producer Sydney Pollack and screenwriter/director Anthony Minghella pulled out all the stops to make this film live and breathe the book it originates from. Yet the only disappointment comes from the bland storytelling which features no subplots, and few plot developments as Dickie, Marge, Freddie, Peter, and Ripley travel from one city to another on Mr. Greenleaf's tab. Ergo, a linear story which requires an interesting character with a great actor cast to be of any interest to viewers unfamiliar with the novel and its four sequels.

Overall, this film was enjoyable for the cast, locales, and slowly developing plot, though felt to have run a bit long in the way the story unfolded. Oddly enough, the scenes don't seem to be lacking anything in substance, as the realism prevents it from going over the top in dramatization. Though it could've had a bit more external threats to elevate the rising tension in the latter part of the film. For things just seemed to come together in calm ways in comparison to the sinister events overshadowing the sudden climax, but as the title suggests, this can be attributed to the talents of Mr. Ripley.