Ripley's Game
The slippery protagonist ofThe Talented Mr. Ripleyreturns in another deadly guise inRipley's Game, a well-appointed star vehicle. The star this time is John Malkovich, whose older Tom Ripley has settled into an Italian villa and a life of aesthetic contemplation (a little like Hannibal Lecter inHannibal). A former partner (Ray Winstone) drags an innocent frame-maker (Dougray Scott), dying of leukemia, into the role of unexpected hit man. Ripley, for his own enigmatic reasons, helps. Liliana Cavani, ofThe Night Porternotoriety, directed this handsome if nebulous film (which has no connection to theMatt Damon picture, other than a Patricia Highsmithsource novel). Malkovich exudes his usual oily disenchantment with the world; Lena Headey, like the location footage, is gorgeous. The same novel was adapted in very different style by Wim Wenders for his brilliant 1977 film,The American Friend, with Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz.--Robert Horton