The Talented Mr. Ripley

Plot synopsis:
Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is a young man struggling to make a living in 1950s New York City using his "talents"; forgery, lying and impersonation. One day, while working as a restroom attendant at a fancy Manhattan hotel, he meets a Princeton graduate who bribes him to work at an alumni party at playing the piano because the Princeton guy just broke his hand and cannot play. Ripley accepts.While playing piano at a cocktail party, Ripley is approached by wealthy shipbuilder Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn), who mistakenly believes that Ripley went to Princeton with his son, Dickie, because Ripley is wearing the borrowed Princeton blazer. Greenleaf recruits Ripley to travel to Italy and persuade Dickie to return to the United States, for which he will pay Ripley $1,000. Ripley accepts the proposal, even though he did not attend Princeton and has never met Dickie.Ripley's personal life is soon revealed after the party where he lives in a small, two-room apartment in a rundown part of the city. His home town and orgins are unknown. It is implied that several years earlier, Ripley came out as a homosexual to his parents who reacted by throwing him out of their house and severing all ties with him. Now alone, Ripley struggles to get by without family support as well as search for his one true love as an outlet for his loneliness.Upon arriving by ship in Europe, Ripley meets a young and wealthy textile heiress named Meredith Logue (Cate Blanchett). During their brief conversation he impulsively pretends to be Dickie, later commenting in voice-over that "it is better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody."Shortly after his arrival in Italy, Ripley fakes a chance encounter on the beach with Dickie (Jude Law) and his fiancée, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow), and attempts to convince Dickie that the two met at Princeton. Ripley later visits Dickie and Marge and discloses that Dickie's father paid him to travel to Europe and persuade Dickie to return home. This revelation infuriates Dickie; he declines the invitation and suggests Ripley go back to America and inform his father that he has no intention of ever returning. Ripley instead insinuates himself into Dickie's life under the pretext of being a fellow jazz lover. The two concoct a scheme for Ripley to wring additional funds from Herbert Greenleaf by regularly mailing letters suggesting Dickie is wavering and will likely return to America if Ripley can remain in Italy and continue applying pressure.
On a jaunt to Rome, Ripley meets Dickie's friend Freddie Miles (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who treats Ripley with barely concealed contempt. A local girl, whom Dickie had impregnated, drowns herself after he refuses to help her financially; this sends Dickie into a downward spiral. He begins getting tired of Ripley, resenting his constant presence and suffocating dependence. Ripley's own feelings are complicated by his desire to maintain the opulent lifestyle Dickie has afforded him, and his growing sexual obsession with his new friend. As a good-will gesture before Ripley returns to America, Dickie invites Ripley to sail with him for a last trip to San Remo, where Dickie is shopping for a new residence. While at sea, Ripley suggests he return to Italy the following year and the two become housemates. Dickie dismisses Ripley's plan, informs him that he intends to marry Marge and admits he has grown weary of Tom. Upset by this news, Ripley confronts Dickie about his behavior and lashes out in rage, repeatedly hitting Dickie with an oar, killing him. To conceal the murder, Ripley scuttles the boat with Dickie's body aboard before swimming ashore.
When the hotel concierge mistakes him for Dickie, Ripley realizes he can assume Dickie's identity. He forges Dickie's signature, modifies his passport and begins living off Dickie's trust fund. He uses Dickie's typewriter to communicate with Marge, making her believe that Dickie has left her and has decided to stay in Rome. He checks into two separate hotels as himself and as Dickie, passing messages via the hotel staff to create the illusion that Dickie is still alive. His situation is complicated by the reappearance of Meredith, who still believes that he is Dickie.
Ripley rents a large apartment and spends a lonely Christmas buying himself expensive presents. Freddie tracks Ripley to his apartment in Rome through the American Express office, expecting to find Dickie. Freddie is immediately suspicious of Ripley as the apartment is not furnished in Dickie's style, while Ripley appears to have adopted Dickie's hair-style and mannerisms. On his way out, Freddie encounters the building's landlady who refers to Ripley as "Signor Dickie" and remarks on the piano music constantly emanating from the apartment. Freddie notes that Dickie does not play piano and goes back to confront Ripley who attacks Freddie, hitting him over the head with a heavy statue, murdering him. Ripley carries the heavy body to Freddie's car, drives to the woods, abandoning the vehicle and leaving Freddie's corpse lying on the ground in a creek, where it is quickly discovered.
Ripley's existence then becomes a cat-and-mouse game with the Italian police and Dickie's friends. Ripley eludes imminent capture and clears himself by forging a suicide note addressed to Ripley in Dickie's name. He then moves to Venice and rents an apartment under his real name. Though trusted by Dickie's father, Ripley is disquieted when Mr. Greenleaf hires American private detective Alvin MacCarron to investigate Dickie's disappearance. Marge suspects Ripley's involvement in Dickie's death and confronts him after finding Dickie's rings in Ripley's bathroom. Ripley appears poised to murder Marge but is interrupted when Peter Smith-Kingsley (Jack Davenport), a mutual friend, enters the apartment with a key Ripley had given him.
At the climax, Marge, Dickie's father, and the prviate detective MacCarron all confront Ripley at his apartment in Venice, but luck seems to stay with Ripley; MacCarron, after uncovering certain sordid details about Dickie's past, reveals to Ripley that Mr. Greenleaf has requested the investigation be dropped. MacCarron will not share his revelations with the Italian police and asks Ripley to promise to do the same. In exchange for his candor, and implications made in Dickie's suicide note, Herbert Greenleaf intends to transfer a substantial portion of Dickie's trust fund income to Ripley. Marge is dismayed at the resolution, furiously accusing Ripley of involvement in Dickie's disappearance before Greenleaf and MacCarron drag her away. Alienated with them and Ripley, Marge leaves to return to America.
Now lovers, Ripley and Peter go on a cruise together, only to discover that Meredith is also on board. Ripley realizes that he cannot prevent Peter from communicating with Meredith and discovering that he has been passing himself off as Dickie. Peter and Meredith know each other and would certainly meet at some point on the voyage. He cannot solve this dilemma by murdering Meredith, because she is accompanied by her family. Ripley enters Peter's room and suggests the two remain below deck for the duration of the cruise, but quickly dismisses this idea as he cannot offer Peter a legitimate reason for doing so. Ripley sobs as he strangles Peter to death, then returns to his own cabin, where he sits alone. Although Tom Ripley knows that he has gotten away with his crimes and will never be brought to justice, he has sadly resigned himself to a solitary life without love or acceptance.

Tags: dark, psychological, neo noir, murder, boring, suspenseful, violence, intrigue, flashback, romantic

Review:
But to those who went to watch this film because we wanted to know why there was so much mixed hype about this 1999 film, we should have all noticed there were the smallest bits of puzzle pieces and the biggest amounts of twists that really made this film what it is.I don't even like Matt Damon, I personally have a biased grudged towards the guy and his movies.
It is this same duality which haunted and tormented so many of Hitchock's characters, most notably (but not exclusively) Norman Bates in "Psycho."  "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a worthy heir to that film classic in its ability to get the audience to sympathize and empathize with Tom.
In his adaptation, Anthony Minghella takes on a different tack, showing us Tom Ripley before he became the Talented Mr. Ripley(just as last year's ELIZABETH showed Elizabeth before she became The Virgin Queen; by coincidence, both films star Cate Blanchett).
And Damon is excellent at going through the transformation(and it's not just the glasses, as one comment suggested, it's the hair, the clothes, and the whole attitude).Anthony Lane of The New Yorker, probably my favorite critic today, liked the film, but he thought it would have been better if Damon and Law had switched roles.
Whereas Highsmith's original novel was cold and sometimes inert, the film makes Ripley much more of a living, breathing character, and as such, a great symbol of tragedy.
Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf, whose identity Tom Ripley steals was very good as well.
What follows is a complex, disturbing and fascinating expose of a man ingratiating himself into the lives of Dickie, his girlfriend Marge and high society on the whole...The main reason why The Talented Mr. Ripley works so well is that it's central characters are deep labyrinths that beg to explored and analysed.
The story is told in such a way that it is difficult to feel for any of the other characters and all of our sympathies lie with the talented Tom Ripley.
Cate Blanchett has a small role, but the real plaudits for the smaller performances go to the brilliant Phillip Seymour Hoffman, who steals every scene he's in.The Talented Mr. Ripley is one stunning piece of film.
However, this caused no problem as I soon became involved in the twisted and rather bizarre plot; I was immediately interested in the movie as it was unique and unusual right from the start.Matt Damon portrays the mysterious Mr. Ripley, who, more or less, remains a mystery throughout the film.
As soon as he says this, he manages to get himself in a deep hole of trouble as Mr. Greenleaf asks him to go to Italy to try and retrieve his son, as he couldn't do it himself due to that fact that Dickie wouldn't listen to his father following a serries of arguments.I thought that the acting was brilliant, especially that of Jude Law (Dickie) and Matt Damon.
I thought that the music playing during most of the film was excellent as it matched the strange, eerie atmosphere of the story beautifully.I would like to conclude this review by saying that this is a very good movie with an unusually unpredictable ending; it's nice to see a movie that doesn't finish perfectly for a change..
The film is set in late 1950's, it centers around Tom Ripley, a man who gets hired by Jude Law's father to go to Italy and persuade him to come back to America.
I know this is more of a character movie but the plot had almost no momentum at all which lead to a friend I was seeing the movie with to ask me "If I go to the bathroom do you think anything might actually happen...?" While every actor did fine job, Matt Damon was particular good, I had not thought him a very good actor before this picture and he rarely lives up to his talent afterwards.
The first hour sets up Matt Damon's character, "Tom Ripley," to do what he eventually does, kill someone and then imitate the rich kid off in Europe.
As the story unfolds, however, "Ripley" is shown to be a sick killer, hardly some innocent man caught in some self-defense predicament.The second half of the film deals with Damon's character trying to get away with his scheme while other people slowly start to question who he is and what he's doing.
Combine that with good European scenery and involving storyline and you have a movie worth investigating.I read where this film also goes under the title, "The Strange Mr. Ripley." Strange, indeed..
Matt Damon, still fresh from his breakout in 1997's Good Will Hunting, shows great versatility in the leading role (essential for such a complicated character), smoothly masking that twitch in his eye from all but the viewing audience.
Such aspects are especially important in the case of Matt Damon, who takes the character of Tom Ripley and subtly makes him look pathetic but endlessly interesting to watch.
Along with other favorites of mine like "The Green Mile" and "American Beauty," I would vote for "The Talented Mr. Ripley" as one of the best films of the year.
Cate Blanchett does as best she can, with a character that never existed in print and isn't even needed for the film.Ripley is far more subtle than the over-baked re-telling given it by Minghella and Co. For example, why start him off living in abject poverty?
The story is, as the title says, about Tom Ripley and it uses the basic tale to run threads about envy, social climbing, sexual desire, personality etc all through the film, making each one of them as interesting as the actual narrative itself.
The direction is simple but classy, with some very effective touches to some shots that in themselves add meaning to what we are seeing.Matching this, the cast are all very good in their roles but the film belongs to Matt Damon.
Damon is the main star but the support cast is also deep in quality with Paltrow, Blanchett, Hoffman, Hall and even Coupling's Davenport giving good performances.Overall this is a great film but not because the story is great because, during the film, the main story is simple and some viewers may be bored by it.
I read Patricia Highsmith's novel before I watched the film (in fact I was just in time!), not because `the book is always better than the movie' (I am not in favour of such generalisations), but because I felt obliged to be chronologically correct in following the artistic adaptation.
Matt Damon's weak, innocent and perplexed Ripley is a thriving achievement, Jude Law shines in a most convincing manner, Gwyneth Paltrow always looks fabulous as the tortured victim and Cate Blanchett is simply a delight to watch in all respects.
The Talented Mr. Ripley opens to a group of black lines running up and down the screen, much like the beginning of Psycho, and continues on the same level as the classic all the way throughout the film.
Matt Damon gives a chilling performance as Tom Ripley, a 1950's sociopath with a love for the piano.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchet are also wonderful in their contrasting female leads, Philip Seymour Hoffman pulls off another great performance as Freddie, Dickie's counter spoiled-brat, and Jack Davenport is incredible as Peter, the only character that is actually ultimately good-natured.
The acting is top notch with the most important coming from Matt Damon and Jude Law. There are honorable mentions to Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gwyneth Paltrow and Cate Blanchett.
Matt Damon played Tom Ripley in a very good way,as a poor pathethic guy who is ready to do everything to become like Dickie Greenleaf(excellent performed by Jude Law).
Jude Law was great as the rich playboy Dickie and also the supporting roles were brilliant performed by Gwyneth Paltrow,Philip Seymour-Hoffman and Cate Blanchett.My conclusion is that "The Talented Mr.Ripley" is together with "American Beauty" the best movie of last year,and I really don't know why Ripley didn't get any Academy Awards.
The Talented Mr. Ripely is a brilliant movie with a really well developed storyline and an outstanding cast.It is an absolute thrill ride from start to finish,from the moment we meet Tom Ripely we do feel a sense of danger,as if this man may not be as innocent as he appears,but what is to come is totally unexpected and this is easily one of the most unpredictable films I've ever seen,I couldn't tell anything that was coming,Ripely is a very strange character and you really don't know what he's capable of.The cast is outstanding, this character is nothing like any other role Matt Damon has played and he does a terrific job of conveying an anti-hero that the audience will support but feel bad as they're doing it, joining him are several other terrific actors,including Gwyneth Paltrow,Jude Law,Cate Blanchett and Phillip Seymour Hoffman,each of their performances and characters provide a huge contribution and important plot points to this film.It will keep you at the edge of your seat and you won't be able to see whats coming,I would recommend the Talented Mr. Ripely to anyone looking for a good thriller.
Tom Ripely is sent to Italy to retrieve a US playboy,but his mission takes an unexpectedly dark turn when things don't go his way.Best Performance: Matt Damon Worst Performance: Jack Davenport.
Here Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, a charming mimic and social-climbing psychopath, who is sent to Italy to return a wealthy playboy (Jude Law) home to his father.
Tom slowly becomes obsessed with the lifestyle and his new friend however and events take a deadly turn on a nice calm day out in a rowboat.Every time I see this movie Matt Damon's acting skills impress me more (as does that neon green speedo.) I also always notice some new clue that I'd missed.
The film comes vividly to life in scenes where Ripley's buried emotions come to the fore -- in the boat, for example, or in the final scene -- but ultimately Matt Damon is not a strong enough actor to bring this fascinating character to life.
Like Anthony Minghella's previous film ("The English Patient") the visual styling of "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is rich and textured.
Matt Damon is awful, Jude Law and Cate Blanchett do all they can to save the movie, but it was a battle they could never win.
However, as was also the case in "The English Patient", the film involves decidedly unbeautiful behaviour by its characters in the beautiful setting.Matt Damon was outstanding as Tom Ripley, showing that he has much talent in complex roles.
Jude Law, as the artificial Dicky Greenleaf, also gives an excellent performance, capturing the character's annoying qualities perfectly so that the audience feels little sympathy for him.
Of the female leads, I found Cate Blanchett as Meridith more interesting than Gwyneth Paltrow as Marge, although the latter does come to life when Dicky isn't around and she begins to suspect something nasty in the neighbourhood, just as she does in "Hush".As in a Morris West novel, the opening of the story gives a long introduction and setting of the scenes, and then things hot up in about the middle.
On the down side, the film is a little slow in parts, is rather over-long and at times, like Tom Ripley, tries to be a bit too clever for its own good.Overall, I found the film inconsistent in both mood and quality but the photography alone is worth the price of admission..
The adoration of Dickie turning into the desire to be exactly like Dickie, the anger and hurt caused by Dickie's indifference and rejection, the tumult after the realization of his actions, the panic on being discovered by Freddie and Marge, the immediate recovery from panic into the grim resolve to nip the trouble in the bud, the acceptance of the unfortunate but necessary elimination of Peter, everything has been enacted out by Matt Damon beautifully and his is a truly outstanding performance, worthy of the Oscar.This film is true to the portrayal of Ripley's mind at work.
Even the sense of success and failure in life is controlled by the mind and the illusion is sometimes too great to overcome.This movie provoked me into reading Patricia Highsmith's book and the later Ripley novels to track the growth of the central character.
Anthony Minghella's film is very careful and Jude Law is fun to watch, but Matt Damon looks like a toad, and you have to wonder why people don't catch on.Rene Clement's "Plein soleil" (retitled "Purple Noon" in English) dates from 1960, and does a better job on the same book.
This movie was artistic,tasteful,and just had that tad bit of disturbing behavior that adds to the magnificence that is,'The Talented Mr.Ripley'.The movie follows Tom Ripley(Matt Damon),a low-class employee,who somehow manages to befriend charming and attractive Dickie Greenleaf(Jude Law).Dickie and his girlfriend,Marge(Gwenyth Paltrow),lead the perfect life in Mongibello,Italy.It's an endless vacation for the couple,with fine luxuries and accommodations.Tom is instantly enamored by this way of living,and after a raging argument with Dickie,Tom murders him,and takes his identity,killing anyone in his way that threaten to destroy the comfortable lifestyle that he had built for himself,under Dickie's name.Though the ending left me a little disappointed,the other parts of the film make up for it.It's a beautiful portrayal of the inner workings of Tom Ripley's corrupted mind.And even though,Tom is most certainly the villain of the movie,you can't help but feel sympathetic towards him.He has this vulnerability to him,that always shines through,and you end up feeling sorry for this person,who,no matter how talented he is,never got much done in life.Matt Damon is a perfect Tom Ripley,and this movie definitely made a believer out of me.Jude Law is also wonderful and Dickie Greenleaf,and he fits the part very nicely.Jude has a classy,elegant air about him,that the director,Anthony Minghella,wanted Dickie to also share,and so Jude was cast.Gwenyth Paltrow was a very convincing Marge,and even though I've never been fond of her,she is a very gifted actress.The rest of the cast was good,including Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymore-Hoffman.The Italian scenery was beautiful,along with all the Italian extras in the film.My favorite character was the title character,Tom Ripley,because even though,Tom is genuinely evil...he's still very talented nonetheless.Great movie,was worth every second of my time!Dickie Greenleaf:"Everybody has got to have a talent, what's yours?"Tom Ripley: "Telling lies, forging signatures and impersonating just about anybody."You're a man of many talents,Mr.Ripley....
When the things suddenly go horribly wrong, Ripley takes extreme measures to carry out the mission while avoiding the suspicion of Dickie's friend Freddie Miles (played by Phillip Seymour Hoffman).This film shows clear evidence that Anthony Minghella knows how to craft a fascinating story, even when it falls victim to a lethargic pace.
The jazz music, the vintage interior design of the Italian households both serve the film is sweet visual treat.The Talented Mr. Ripley is a fine piece of work conducted by Anthony Minghella with a performance by Matt Damon that shines with passion, and a beautifully executed story that tackles on the complexities of its startling eponymous character.
The acting is excellent, Matt Damon does wonderfully in a difficult and perhaps controversial role, and Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Phillip Seymour Hoffmann are equally terrific.
"Mr. Ripley" evokes the fifties, the rich depths of classicism that infuse the large cities and small towns of Italy, and especially the golden warmth of summer on the Italian coast.Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, a penniless man who inserts himself into the privileged lives of young Americans living abroad.This film was my initiation to the actor Jude Law. As such, he seemed to emerge, fully formed, as Dickie Greenleaf-one of my most memorable introductions to an actor.
Jude Law was nominated for an Oscar for his role in The Talented Mr. Ripley; Matt Damon was not.
She's just as convincing in Emma as she is in Shallow Hal, and in this film, she seems completely at home in her 1950s surroundings.Depending on how dark you like your movies, you might hate The Talented Mr. Ripley or you might add it to your collection to watch on dark, spooky evenings.
Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley in the movie the "The Talented Mr. Ripley".
The waters of sexual attraction were never more muddied than they are in this film -- Matt Damon and Gwyneth Paltrow both love Jude Law, who loves neither.
Wow. This movie is great for so many reasons...I would especially cite the performances of Jude Law, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Jack Davenport also...but no one compares to the brilliance of Matt Damon.
I really didn't like Matt Damon's performance in "Good Will Hunting" that much; nevertheless he carries out his role admirably in this movie.
I chased 'The Talented Mr. Ripley' the film she made after 'Shakespeare...' Gwyneth's performance was good but the story was complicated and confusing.
Matt Damon's part was good acted but also very confusing and I don't understand some things in the movie.But I am very grateful that actors like Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude law, Matt Damon...
Parting from the overly simplistic premise and main character's motto, "it's better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody", The Talented Mr. Ripley focuses more on its main character's abilities than on his need for a different identity; a choice which does not allow for a fuller development of this potentially intriguing character.Otherwise, the film successfully transmits the lifestyle Tom longs for, as a result of the better-defined character of Dickie, and of the desirability the actor Jude Law effectively projects..
Jude Law is the one that shines here and Damon must be given credit for tackling a very difficult role."The Talented Mr. Ripley" is not for your average movie audience who needs to be spoon-feed everything.
The character of Tom Ripley is one of the most complex in recent film history, and Matt Damon delivers a flawless performance.