Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Judd Law, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman. And we're not just talking about music. That's why he pretends to be part of a gang of snotty, upscale twentysomethings, cavorting on the beaches, yacht decks and dance floors of romantic Italy in the 1950s. But each layer of deception brings its own dangers - until Ripley becomes a murderer to keep his illusion alive. No such luck.
Nothing is tied up in a bow.
Ripley's true background is vague, but he's obviously poor and without particularly impressive prospects. But he and cinematographer John Seale keep our interest alive through the sheer beauty of the images. The film presents the most romanticized possible view of the traveler's Italy - the sips of coffee at sidewalk cafes, Rome's sprawling Spanish steps, the gondoliers of Venice at sunset and the gorgeous harbor of Mongibello. Nighttime scenes at the opera and cafes add to the atmosphere, and two highly musical, extended sequences in a jazz club contribute much-needed energy. As Ripley, Damon shifts subtlely from an innocent bumbler into an increasingly conniving impostor.