MPAA Rating: R/Genre: Psychological Thriller/Stars: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, Celia Weston, Rosario Fiorello, Stefania Rocca, Ivano Marescotti, Lisa Eichhorn, Silvana Bosi/Runtime: 139 minutes
Among the list of universal conflicts that we as human beings undoubtedly have had at one time or another in the course of our day to day lives, there is one that I think works out better than the others for the sake of this review. That conflict being the concept of identity. Now by identity I don’t mean not being sure who you are as a person though that is definitely something that has come up in slices of cinema across the years. No dear reader, for this review let’s talk for a moment about the conflict that can potentially come about when you find yourself crossing paths with someone who is living a life you have always dreamed about living yourself and how you might choose to address that particular conflict. Yet while I am hopeful that the vast majority of us would simply choose to find some degree of contentment and/or comfort in the life that we have built for ourselves and not engage in any kind of measures that at best might be unorthodox and at worst either imprisonable, insane, or even some insidious mixture of both, the sad fact is that people in the land of movie magic really don’t at times travel on the same plane of logic that we do dear reader. A fact that I can definitely say makes itself very much apparent in a 1999 movie, and slice of cinema I happen to be reviewing for you today incidentally, known as The Talented Mr. Ripley. A film that, besides really acting as a wonderful reminder to not talk to strangers, is also a thrilling and taut look at a blossoming young liar/con man who is inadvertently given a chance to live the extravagant and well-to-do life he’s always wanted only to find himself having to go to some extreme lengths to keep it his when a variety of external factors begin to threaten his grasp on it. Yet even though that description undeniably makes it sound like a lot of other similar in narrative thrillers that have come and gone over the years, there is no denying that this is one that I can promise you is definitely worth your time. I say this because yes this slice of cinema is a slow-burn, yes it does require perhaps a tad bit more brain power than a lot of other thrillers might ask of you, and yes every single character in this is flawed to some degree or another, but it is also so much more than that. Indeed it might not be perfect by any stretch, but with the aid of top-tier work both behind and in front of the camera, The Talented Mr. Ripley is most assuredly a gorgeous, nuanced, and genuinely thrilling tale that not only does its literary source material justice, but also manages to craft and mold it into a cinematic experience that is infinitely more potent and emotionally convoluted in the best way possible as well.
The plot is as follows: An adaptation of the 1955 novel of the same name by Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Mr. Ripley gets underway by taking us back in time to 1958 New York City where we are introduced to our questionable protagonist named Tom Ripley. A young man who, among other things worth knowing about him, is very much someone who life has not exactly given a lot of the same opportunities to as it seemingly has everyone else. Yet, rather than let it get him down, we see that our intrepid hero has developed ways to make life work to his benefit. It is at least one of those ways incidentally that results in him, when our story opens proper, playing piano at a luxurious garden cocktail party. It is also here where we see Tom cross paths with an extremely well-to-do shipbuilder named Herbert Greenleaf who, rather mistakenly, believes Tom went to school at a very distinct institution of higher learning known as Princeton with his son Dickie. Yet, rather than politely correct the gentleman and go about his life currently in progress, we see that Tom (big surprise coming up here) does the opposite and carries on with the ruse. As for why on Earth he would do such a thing, perhaps it has something to do with the fact that we soon see Herbert ask him to make his way to Italy, where Dickie has been residing for quite some time, and do what he can to convince the spoiled wayward son to come back to America. A task that the Greenleaf patriarch is willing to pay Tom no less than 1,000 dollars for even attempting to do so. Upon arriving in the quaint seaside locale of Mongibello where the younger Greenleaf is known to spend his days, we soon witness as Tom feigns a chance encounter with the more than slightly vain Dickie and his American girlfriend/fiancée Marge Sherwood who, despite their initial reservations, actually begin to welcome him into their lives in this paradise to an extent. Yet as good as life has now become for our hero, we see that it isn’t long before, as a result of Herbert’s growing impatience and Dickie’s slowly yet steadily-rising level of exhaustion toward his new friend’s (a word I use quite liberally and loosely here) consistent presence, that things start to sour and our protagonist finds himself having to engage in some quite drastic measures in order to keep the newfound wealth and privilege he has managed to stumble into afloat. As to what those measures are to say nothing of the impact that they have on the lives of both our hero and the people around him however that is something that I will leave for you to discover for yourself…..
Now right off, it should be said that the work done by the various departments behind the camera definitely do their part in making this a really solid cinematic outing. Without question, this starts with the electrifying work done by the iconic Anthony Minghella at the helm and what I love about Minghella’s work here is that he does a fantastic job at two distinct things. The first is that, seemingly right from the word go, he manages to conjure up for us an atmosphere of unease and suspense that manages to permeate the entire film and, even in more light-hearted moments, never lets up for a single second. The second is that he chooses to distinguish his take on this story through his approach to the main character. By that I mean whereas in the book, Patricia Highsmith makes it clear from the get-go that Ripley is nothing more than a scheming and treacherous opportunist, Minghella opts to give us instead a significantly more nuanced approach to the character and presents him with a degree of surprising empathy that really impacts how we ultimately are to view him. With that in mind however, there is no denying that this slice of cinema’s screenplay, as penned by director Minghella, does do its source material justice even with the aforementioned changes made to the main character and is a wonderful example of a cinematic literary adaptation done right. Alongside the work done at the helm and on the page by Minghella, this slice of cinema also manages to possess some truly breathtaking work done in the cinematography department by John Seale (the first Harry Potter film and Mad Max: Fury Road). Indeed Seale does a magnificent job of effectively capturing the sun-soaked beauty of Italy from the canals of Venice to the picturesque seaside community of Mongibello before then sifting these undeniably beautiful images that we are seeing through either blurriness caused by the sun or shadows that have more than a passing hint of ominous unease about them. As a result, the film is able to give off the impression of being warm and lively to be sure, but also manages to contribute more than a passing hint of tension to the proceedings as well. Lastly, it should be said here that this slice of cinema has a nothing short of incredible musical accompaniment courtesy of Gabriel Yared. Indeed not only does the soundtrack, made up of quite a few jazz hits from the era, feel authentic to the time period, but it also gives the film a spot-on soulful almost melancholic vibe to the proceedings as well. Suffice it to say that when you also factor into the mix incredible work by the various effects departments at, from the cars being driven to the clothes being worn by the cast of characters, making you feel like you have effectively gone back in time to 1950s Italy it’s clear that this is one film that was definitely brought to life by a team of professionals all operating at the pinnacle of their respective abilities.
Of course, the other thing that most assuredly helps this slice of cinema work as well as it does would, without a doubt in my mind, come in the form of the truly phenomenal performances given by the cast of talent in front of the camera. Without a doubt in my mind this starts with the work done by Matt Damon in the titular role and he is, to put it lightly, nothing short of phenomenal. Indeed this is a very tricky character to play because, without going into spoilers, this is a character who is someone who, for all intents and purposes, is the villain of the story due to the truly monstrous actions he does throughout the story yet must still be worth rooting for in some capacity. On top of that, this character is also one that can definitely come across as little more than a blank slate and a frustratingly incomprehensible enigma at worst. Yet, in all fairness I would like to say that in regards to the latter that this is not a fault since this is very much a character who needs to operate as a blank slate in order to better take on the characteristics of other people he is trying to emulate. As for the former, we see that with Damon in the lead role not only do we get to see the vulnerability and desperation present in the character, but astonishingly we are also able to empathize with him as a person despite the undeniably despicable actions he commits. As a result, what we are given here is a chilling yet incredibly nuanced performance from a performer who truly is one of the finer actors of his generation. Alongside Damon, this slice of cinema also provides us with a truly riveting co-starring turn from Jude Law in the pivotal role of Dickie Greenleaf. Indeed, much like the work done by Damon, this too can be a tricky part to take on since this character is one that yes is very much despicable and selfish yet we also have to be able to see him in the positive light that the main character initially sees him at the same time. Fortunately, Law is able to step up to the plate and give us a performance that delivers that and so much more. Besides the work done here by both Damon and Law, this film also gives us a wonderful turn from Gwyneth Paltrow in the role of Dickie’s fiancée Marge. Indeed say what you will about Paltrow as a businesswoman or actress, but there is no denying that Paltrow here does a great job at playing someone who is passionately devoted to her fiancée despite being fully aware of the fact that he can be quite the jerk to the world at large. Lastly, I feel like this section would be very much amiss if I didn’t take some time to praise the work done here by the late yet great Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his support role of Dickie’s friend Freddie Miles. Indeed Seymour Hoffman could always be counted on to give a terrific performance and here he does a wonderful job at playing this sleazy, despicable, uncouth, and arrogant individual you can’t help but loathe and hope (as twisted as it may be) that he gets his comeuppance in some way. Suffice it to say that when you also factor in wonderful support performances from such talents as the always engaging Cate Blanchett, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, and Phillip Baker Hall among others it’s clear that this cinematic thrill ride might not be for everyone, but for those willing to give it a chance the cast certainly does their part to make it a very rewarding ride.
All in all and at the end of the day is The Talented Mr. Ripley from 1999 a perfect slice of cinema? Sadly no though by no means due to lack of effort on the part of anyone involved in the making of it. With that being said, is this a terrible film that should be avoided at and any all cost? Actually no dear reader to be completely honest with you I wouldn’t say that either. To be sure, this slice of cinema is not one that is going to appeal to everyone. A belief I claim due to not only the fact that this film is very much a slow-burn, but also because virtually everyone in the film is (in some shape or form) a flawed individual to say nothing of the fact that the character you are supposed to be rooting for does commit some truly deplorable actions as the film goes along among the few miniscule issues here and there that could prove to be detrimental to your enjoyment of the film. With those in mind however, there is also no denying that the work done by the undeniably talented group of professionals behind the camera is nothing short of movie magic at its finest and the performances given by the immensely skilled cast of players in front of the camera all manage to bring their respective characters to life in a way that enables every individual to be both engaging and feel like a three-dimensional human being rather than an archetype we have seen in similar films at least a thousand (or perhaps a little less) times before. Suffice it to say dear reader that The Talented Mr. Ripley might not be everyone’s distinct cinematic brew, but for those of you who are willing to take this journey and see where it takes you then (unlike our main character/ de-facto guide of sorts through this distinct world) I promise I am being completely honest with you when I tell you that it will definitely be one delightfully twisted and suspenseful trip worth taking time and time again. Just make sure that the next time you encounter someone whilst traveling who claims they know you from somewhere to be very cautious with what you tell them if anything. Trust me when I say it might come in handy. Make of that what thou will dear reader. On a scale of 1-5 I give The Talented Mr. Ripley “99” a solid 4 out of 5.
