out of
What would it be like to live someone else's life? In the stunning The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) desperately wants to become somebody--anybody, really--rather than live out his life. Over the film's length, he sets out to accomplish this, and what we get is two hours and twenty minutes of the most riveting, suspenseful, and seductive film this year. It is often said that in books or films, the villain is always the most interesting character. This is often true as well, but the villain is almost always relegated to the secondary role. Here, however, just like several of Hitchcock's films, the villain is the center of the story. If Hitchcock were alive today, he'd be envious of Minghella's sumptuous epic thriller.
This isn't the first literary adaption Minghella has tackled. Many will remember his Oscar-winning film The English Patient, which swept the Oscars in 1997. That film was gorgeously shot, with beautiful performances from the entire cast. The Talented Mr. Ripley is a better film, mostly due to the masterful performance of Matt Damon. The success of the film rests entirely on Damon's shoulders, and he more than holds it up with a surprisingly emotional and complex portrayal of the title character. There isn't a moment in which his performance seems false. He attains our sympathy, and then slowly makes us realize that he's not all well up in the head.
Calling The Talented Mr. Ripley Hitchcock-like is more than accurate, considering that even Hitchcock produced a film--Strangers on a Train--from author Patricia Highsmith. The Talented Mr. Ripley begins as we meet Tom Ripley, playing the piano at a lush and rich birthday party. Afterwards, Ripley meets up with Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn), a rich tycoon who wants his son to follow in his footsteps. Herbert, thinking Ripley graduated from Princeton, offers him an intriguing offer: go to Europe and get his son Dickie (Jude Law) to come back to the States. Given a $1000 allowance as well as all expenses paid, Ripley accepts and heads off to Italy.
Ripley finds Dickie lounging in the sun on a beach in Italy with his token-girlfriend Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow). Dickie himself can't seem to remember Tom, but immediately takes a liking to him anyway. Dickie finally accepts him into his group of elitist socialites when Tom reveals his mission. When asked what his talents are, Tom responds, "Forging signatures, telling lies and impersonating almost anyone." He then does a creepy impression of Dickie's father, repeating what Herbert told him. By disarming Dickie's reservations, Tom is now one of them. He basks in the glory of being wealthy, spending Herbert's money wisely but also mooching off Dickie. Tom isn't after Dickie's money, however. He wants his identity.
Minghella's approach to the situation is remarkably subtle, relishing the beautiful vistas of Italy's landscapes. For the first hour or so, nothing in the way of suspense really occurs. Minghella lets us ease into the film, dropping our guard as we settle in our seats. And then, like a bat to the face, Minghella slams us with a murder that is shocking, violent, and quite difficult to watch. Ripley is shocked and saddened by what he's done, but within minutes we realize he has something sinister lurking beneath his appealing surface. What is at first a murder in self defense turns into an opportunity for Ripley to take over the life he's always lusted after.
Ripley's transfiguration into Dickie isn't nearly as easy as he hoped it would be. Marge knows him as Tom, while another rich socialite Meredith Logue (Cate Blanchett) knows him as Dickie. Tom's struggle to keep them from meeting fuels several scenes. Dickie's snobbish friend Freddie Miles (Philip Seymour Hoffman) suspects Tom of hiding secrets, and their confrontations continue to escalate in suspense. Soon thereafter, the police show up to investigate a murder, suspecting that Dickie might just be the killer. It sounds rather confusing, but Minghella keeps the film moving at a rapid pace. He expects the viewers to keep up, and he smartly doesn't resort to any cheap plot twists that might confuse viewers. Everything's rather straightforward for our benefit as all good thrillers are. This is as smart a suspense film as you will see this year.
The cast, led by the reliable Damon, is top-notch. Damon may be the star, but he isn't the only noteworthy one here. Jude Law gives a star-making performance as Dickie, a materialistic snob who uses people to entertain him. Once he's finished with one person, he tosses them aside and turns to someone else. Law makes Dickie a sympathetic creep--he's the guy you always admired in school and hated yourself for it. Gwyneth Paltrow is stunning in the Grace Kelly role. For those who have doubted Paltrow's talents in the past, here is the performance to watch. She's luminous as well as heartbreaking, revealing emotions as the script peels her front away. Dickie may not always appreciate her, but she loves him. This is one of Paltrow's finest performances, and it's solidified my opinion of her as one of the best actresses of her generation. Cate Blanchett is good as Meredith, though it's rather unclear on the character's motivations. Blanchett makes the most of it however, and ensures that we care for her. Philip Seymour Hoffman is one of the best character actors around, and he creates a slimy and egotistical creature of wealth. He knows Tom likes Dickie, but will do anything to keep Dickie for himself. But this is Damon's show, and he creates one of the most sympathetic sociopathic murderers ever portrayed on film.
Directed by Anthony Minghella, The Talented Mr. Ripley becomes something more than your average run-of-the-mill thriller. It's first a romance story... not between Dickie and Marge, but between Dickie and Tom. Not-so-subtle homosexual undertones are apparent throughout the film. Tom, while being a closeted homosexual, isn't necessarily attracted to Dickie on a romantic level, but more on a lust level. Tom envies what Dickie has achieved, and wants it. One scene in particular plays with the characters' relationship (Tom and Dickie play chess in the bathtub). Quickly it turns to a horrifying suspense film, filled with amazingly pulse-pounding scenes that make you hope Tom gets away with it. Minghella paints this sordid world with a similar look and feel that he used for The English Patient. The camerawork by John Seale is gorgeous, capturing the beautiful landscapes with awe. One moment, as red silk representing blood pours across a stage, is one of the most beautiful images I've seen all year. Also, one shot had many audience members clutching their stomachs as the camera spins towards Damon. It's an eerie shot, but it might give some motion sickness. Gabriel Yared's creepy score complements the film the same way Bernard Hermann's scores worked for Hitchcock's films. All in all, it's an Oscar-worthy crew working on an Oscar-worthy film.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is rated R for violence, language, sex, and brief but strong nudity. The violence is disturbing as it should be, and for those interested, a brief glimpse of Jude Law's penis is more than worthy of the R rating. The homoerotic undertones may turn off some viewers, but they work to increase our sympathy for Ripley. He's a confused man who wants something but goes about getting it the wrong way. Is Ripley amoral? I don't think so. One could view that he's been so disturbed by society's overwhelming commercialism, touting that rich people are the important people. What he does is certainly unacceptable by today's standards, but it makes you wonder: are his victims really innocent? It's difficult to answer, and the film leaves those questions open. The final moments are heartbreakingly sad, and yet we still manage to care for Ripley. This is one of 1999's best films.
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© 1999 Boyd Petrie |