The Talented Mr. Ripley: Music from the Motion Picture Score
InThe Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) becomes a master at taking on another's identity, pretty much the same thing he does on the film's soundtrack. Here, the actor does his best to croon likeChet Bakeron "My Funny Valentine." Damon lacks the vocal cords to really pull the standard off, but it's still a noteworthy effort. The rest of this soundtrack is a mix of vintage jazz (exceptional cuts byCharlie Parker,Miles Davis, andDizzy Gillespie),Sinead O'Connor's mystical "A Lullaby for Cain," and a handful of bop tunes played by the Guy Barker International Quintet (one tune even featuring folk legendJohn Martynon vocals). As usual,Gabriel Yared's instrumental score is mysterious and reflective, with the occasional jazz element. Unfortunately, only on the track "Ripley" do we get a sense of the composer's varied talent.--Jason Verlinde