Talented Mr. Damon is amazing in 'Ripley'

http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,145013623,00.html

Suspenseful and heartbreaking film evokes Hitchcock
By Jeff Vice
Deseret News movie critic


      It may not be quite as good as Hitchcock, but "The Talented Mr.
Ripley" is as close as anyone's come to evoking memories of the Master
of Suspense for quite some time.

      Yes, that is a strong statement. But it's almost as much a
reflection on today's exploitative filmmaking as it is praise for this
classy, good-looking thriller based on a novel by mystery writer
Patricia Highsmith. (She also wrote the book that was the basis for
Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train.")

      "The Talented Mr. Ripley" was also adapted by director Rene
Clement in 1961 as the cult-adored French thriller "Purple Noon," but
frankly, this new version is more engrossing — it's equally
suspenseful and heartbreaking, and its performances are devastating.

      At the same time, filmmaker Anthony Minghella has created
something here that could divide movie audiences as much as his Oscar-
winning adaptation of "The English Patient."

      Probably the biggest question is how moviegoers will react to
the sight of "Good Will Hunting's" hero, Matt Damon, playing a gay-
conflicted, chameleon-like serial killer. It's a bold move that could
force his fans to reject the film outright.

      If they do, it would be a shame, because Damon's transformation
— including a physical change, since the star actually "bulked down"
to play the slight title character — is nothing short of astonishing.
(The film's homoerotic content is limited to a strong undercurrent and
implied activities, not any exploitative content.)

      As played by Damon, Tom Ripley is a mysterious cipher who gets a
very lucky break, thanks to mistaken identity. Wealthy shipbuilder
Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn) believes the bespectacled piano
tuner is a classmate of his son Dickie (Jude Law) and sends him to
Italy to bring his hedonistic offspring back.

      Once he arrives, though, Tom falls under the spell of the
charismatic playboy and his expatriate girlfriend, Marge Sherwood
(Gwyneth Paltrow). Suddenly forgetting his mission, Tom begins hanging
out with the two and emulating their lifestyle — particularly Dickie,
whose mannerisms he begins to adopt as well.

      However, his ruse is partially discovered by Freddie Miles
(Philip Seymour Hoffman), another globe-trotting friend of Dickie's
who begins monopolizing Dickie's time and correctly pegs Tom as a
hanger-on.

      And because of Freddie, Dickie becomes disenchanted with Tom and
tells him so during a heated discussion at sea. Unexpectedly, that
sets Tom off, and he winds up bludgeoning his friend to death.

      Tom also ends up adopting Dickie's identity and heads off to
Rome, where he lives a dual life — as Dickie, who is now romancing
another expatriate, Meredith Logue (Cate Blanchett), and as Tom, who
is trying to reassure Marge about the well-being of her missing fiance.

      Already wracked with guilt over the murder, Tom has his hands
full trying to keep the two women from meeting up, as well as dealing
with the threat of Freddie, who's come to town looking for his pal.

      That sounds like a lot of material to cover, but amazingly,
that's only about the first 75 minutes of the rich tapestry Minghella
has woven.

      In fact, you can count this among his very best work. Though the
film is extremely suspenseful, even horrifying at times, a lot of that
is balanced out by some very dark humor and witty dialogue.

      It also features exemplary production design and cinematography,
as well as a score by Gabriel Yared that may turn even the most ardent
of jazz haters into fans.

      However, the real selling point is Damon, who gives the
performance of his career.

      That's not to slight any members of the very talented supporting
cast (especially Law and Hall, who are especially good), but Damon's
subtle, nuanced — and brave — turn here has only been hinted at
before in his work in previous movies.

      "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is rated R for violent bludgeonings,
profanity, gore, male nudity (including a fleeting full-frontal shot)
and simulated sex (handled very discreetly).