http://www.atnzone.com/moviezone/reviews/talentedripley.shtml

Anthony Leong
@N-Zone Magazine. c 1999 All reviews contained above are
copyrighted by it's individual authors and may not be
reproduced without their permission.


You know, I've always thought it was better to be a fake somebody
than a real nobody.

When American mystery writer Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995)
introduced the world to "The Talented Mr. Ripley" in 1955, little
did she know that the bisexual charlatan and killer Tom Ripley
would become her most enduring character. It was through the
character of Tom Ripley that Highsmith was able to explore issues
and ideas that intrigued her as a writer, namely the effects of
guilt on the psyche and the dire consequences of crime. In
addition to appearing in three other novels ("Ripley Under Ground",
"Ripley's Game", and "Ripley Under Water"), the character
Tom Ripley has also been brought to life in film. Ripley's first
screen appearance was in the 1960 film "Plein Soleil (Purple Noon)"
(which was based on "The Talented Mr. Ripley"), which was directed
by Rene Clement and starred Alain Delon as Tom Ripley. The Ripley
character also inspired the 1977 film "The American Friend" by Wim
Wenders (who would later direct "Wings of Desire"), which starred
Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz.

Well, whatever you do, no matter how terrible or how hurtful,
nobody thinks that they're a bad person.

Now, at the end of 1999, comes another cinematic adaptation of
"The Talented Mr. Ripley" from director Anthony Minghella ("The
English Patient"), who has populated the cast with top-notch
talent, including Matt Damon ("Saving Private Ryan") as the
titular character. And though a number of pundits claim that this
update lacks the intensity and screen presence of Delon's memorable
performance in "Plein Soleil", this version is more faithful to the
spirit of Highsmith's novel, particularly in portraying Mr. Ripley
as more of a tragic figure for whom the audience can empathize with.

The story starts in New York during the Fifties, where a borrowed
Princeton jacket provides Tom Ripley (Damon) an opportunity to
ingratiate himself into the household of wealthy shipping magnate
Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn of "The Game"). Herbert, thinking
that the young man is a school chum of his indolent son Dickie
(Jude Law of "eXistenZ"), offers Tom the opportunity of a lifetime:
$1000 for an all-expenses-paid trip to Europe to bring Dickie home.
With nothing more than a lowly bathroom attendant job holding him
back, Tom jumps at the opportunity and heads to the sunny shores of
Italy.

Dickie Greenleaf? It's Tom... Tom Ripley. We went to Princeton
together.

Once in Italy, Tom cozies up with Dickie and his fiancee Marge
Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow of "Shakespeare in Love"), who spend
their days sailing and sunning themselves. Though Dickie cannot
recall ever meeting Tom during his Princeton days, he still
welcomes the stranger into his life, and pretty soon Tom is living
in his house, eating his food, and wearing his clothes.

However, Tom's sojourn into the idyllic, carefree, and Greenleaf-
sponsored lifestyle becomes threatened when the arrogant Dickie
begins to grow tired of his new 'friend'. This then sets in motion
a chain-reaction of deception and murder where Tom hones his talents
in 'forging signatures, telling lies, and impersonating just about
anyone' to sustain his newfound affluence. Unfortunately, a number
of obstacles stand in the way of Tom's success, which include
Dickie's drinking buddy in Rome (Philip Seymour Hoffman of
"Magnolia"), a wealthy American heiress (Cate Blanchett of "Pushing
Tin") who has a habit of showing up at the most inopportune times,
a private detective (Philip Baker Hall, also of "Magnolia") hired by
Dickie's father, and Marge's own suspicions.

I believe everyone has one unique talent... what's yours?
Forging signatures, telling lies, and impersonating just about anyone.

Though Tom commits a number of evil acts in "The Talented Mr.
Ripley", the audience is still able to sympathize with him due to
Minghella's presentation of Tom Ripley, which is very similar to
Highsmith's original intentions for the character, aside from the
unambiguous bisexuality of Damon's character. Unlike in "Plein
Soleil", in which Delon played Tom as a remorseless and cold
felon, Tom in this latest adaptation is a young man who will do
anything in his power to 'fit in' and bolster his self-confidence--
often regretting the price he has paid. It is easy to empathize
with such a character because companionship, respect, and
admiration are basic human emotional needs, and the thought of
having them being taken away is a universal fear. Though we may
not agree with Tom's methods, we understand his motives and
subconsciously want to see him succeed. Furthermore, Minghella
further moderates Tom by painting Dickie in an unfavorable light,
a flippant playboy who quickly turns cold to his friends, uses and
discards women without compunction, and refuses to take
responsibility for anything.

You, ah, stay at Dickie's house, you eat Dickie's food, you wear 
his clothes, and his father picks up the tab. Let me know if you 
get tired of it, so I can take over.

To cast his film, Minghella scored quite a coup by signing on a
number of Hollywood's most prolific young actors. Interestingly
enough, when casting decisions were made on "The Talented Mr.
Ripley" back in 1997, none of the lead actors were 'stars' yet.
Damon had yet to make a name for himself with "Good Will Hunting",
Paltrow had not yet won her Best Actress Oscar, and Blanchett had
yet to be nominated for her stunning work in "Elizabeth". But
Minghella's gamble has paid of handsomely. Damon acquits himself
nicely as Tom, conveying both the emotional vulnerability and
cold calculation of this complex character. Paltrow , despite
being given little to do for most of the picture, does well with
playing the different facets of Marge that emerge during her
friendship with Tom. Blanchett is also given little to do during
the film, but is still fun to watch as a foolish American who
falls under Tom's charms. Finally, Law is wonderfully callous as
Dickie, while Hoffman memorably exudes his character's snobby
qualities in his few short scenes.

I've never been happier... I feel like I've been handed a new life.

"The Talented Mr. Ripley" is an engaging thriller that succeeds
due to the attention paid to character dynamics and careful
plotting. There is a motive behind Tom Ripley's actions, which
the audience is made to understand, and this in turn heightens
the suspense of the story due to the emotional investment
required from the viewer. Serving double-duty as writer and
director, Minghella has done a superb job in adapting the
source material and creating one of the best thrillers to
grace the big screen in a long time. Could "Ripley 2" be not too
far behind?