The Talented Mr. Ripley is ominous and foreboding, suspenseful and exciting, slow and emotional. The movie has as many facets as Mr. Ripley has talents, and it takes the viewer through an interesting and worthwhile experience.
The movie is set in the late 1950s and begins just as Tom Ripley--if that is his real name--begins his grand act of deception. The movie is based on a series of novels written by Patricia Highsmith that are centered on Mr. Ripley.
Tom Ripley, who is played by Matt Damon, deceives a man into believing that he knows his son well. That man decides to send Tom to Italy to retrieve his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Dickie, who is played by Jude Law, is privileged and arrogant, but he is also adored by those who know him. His father believes he has been sailing and schmoozing in Italy for far too long. Dickie's father promises to pay Tom's travel expenses and award him $1,000 to return with Dickie. Tom readily accepts the offer.
The first scene that intrigued me was when Tom lands in Italy. He meets a pretty American girl named Meredith, played by Cate Blanchett, and he introduces himself as Dickie Greenleaf. I almost did not catch the lie at first, and I nearly forgot about it when Tom says goodbye to Meredith, returns to being Tom Ripley, and goes to meet up with Dickie. Tom pretends to meet Dickie by chance and tells him they knew each other in college. Dickie is with his girlfriend Marge, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and, of course, he does not recognize Tom.
Tom builds his talents for deception while making his way into Dickie's life, but he uses the truth of his mission to gain Dickie's trust. They quickly become friends. Everything seems to be going well for Tom, and it is at this point that I began to empathize with him because of his eagerness to participate socially and his obvious fear of loneliness.
As he and Dickie become closer, Tom's attraction for Dickie becomes palpable. At the same time, Dickie takes note of Tom's infatuation and tries to brush him away by spending time with other friends. In a scene that left me shocked and confused, Tom's jealousy and passion overwhelm him while he and Dickie are sailing. They are arguing because Dickie tries to tell Tom he doesn't think that they should be friends anymore, and that Tom should return to America. Tom strikes Dickie with an oar and, after a scuffle, Tom beats Dickie to death. Tom cries as he hugs the bloodied corpse, once again leaving me unsure of Tom's plan--if he even has a plan.
Tom's journey truly begins as he starts to cover his tracks and decides that his only option is to attempt to steal Dickie's life. Tom tells Marge that Dickie is just taking time away. He tells those who know him as Tom that Dickie is away, and he tells others that he is Dickie. He cashes Dickies checks and lives in his home.
The other characters become pieces in Tom's game and he manipulates them to support his web of lies. Tom murders again when Dickie's friend, who has met Tom as Tom, is on the verge of discovering Tom's ruse. Once again, the murder does not seem predetermined, and Tom does it out of necessity because he cannot stand to lose his new lifestyle. Tom's lies and murders begin to spiral out of control as the police become involved. I found myself wondering if Tom would have to kill everyone in Italy that knew Dickie. I also began to empathize with Tom's delusional scheme because he seems to only want attention and affection from others.
Dickie's friends become increasingly worried about his absence, and Dickie's father travels to Italy and hires a private investigator. Just as Tom's evil plan is about to break apart, Tom gets away clean. Tom forges a suicide letter from Dickie, and the police and private investigator come to conclusions that leave Tom innocent.
Marge is the only person who suspects Tom, but she has become emotionally distressed and no one believes her. Dickie's father even leaves Tom some of Dickie's trust fund. Tom murders one last time as the movie ends. A man who had become his lover poses one last threat to his discovery because he still knows him as Tom, and others that know him as Dickie are aboard the same ship. Tom smothers him while crying to himself.
I found this movie to be thrilling, and honestly, confusing. I could watch it again and again and probably absorb some new, interesting aspect each time. Matt Damon gives a great performance that shows range that I have not seen in his later performances. I wish that I had seen this fantastic work of art earlier, and I am eager to read the books it is based on.
The movie is set in the late 1950s and begins just as Tom Ripley--if that is his real name--begins his grand act of deception. The movie is based on a series of novels written by Patricia Highsmith that are centered on Mr. Ripley.
Tom Ripley, who is played by Matt Damon, deceives a man into believing that he knows his son well. That man decides to send Tom to Italy to retrieve his son, Dickie Greenleaf. Dickie, who is played by Jude Law, is privileged and arrogant, but he is also adored by those who know him. His father believes he has been sailing and schmoozing in Italy for far too long. Dickie's father promises to pay Tom's travel expenses and award him $1,000 to return with Dickie. Tom readily accepts the offer.
The first scene that intrigued me was when Tom lands in Italy. He meets a pretty American girl named Meredith, played by Cate Blanchett, and he introduces himself as Dickie Greenleaf. I almost did not catch the lie at first, and I nearly forgot about it when Tom says goodbye to Meredith, returns to being Tom Ripley, and goes to meet up with Dickie. Tom pretends to meet Dickie by chance and tells him they knew each other in college. Dickie is with his girlfriend Marge, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, and, of course, he does not recognize Tom.
Tom builds his talents for deception while making his way into Dickie's life, but he uses the truth of his mission to gain Dickie's trust. They quickly become friends. Everything seems to be going well for Tom, and it is at this point that I began to empathize with him because of his eagerness to participate socially and his obvious fear of loneliness.
As he and Dickie become closer, Tom's attraction for Dickie becomes palpable. At the same time, Dickie takes note of Tom's infatuation and tries to brush him away by spending time with other friends. In a scene that left me shocked and confused, Tom's jealousy and passion overwhelm him while he and Dickie are sailing. They are arguing because Dickie tries to tell Tom he doesn't think that they should be friends anymore, and that Tom should return to America. Tom strikes Dickie with an oar and, after a scuffle, Tom beats Dickie to death. Tom cries as he hugs the bloodied corpse, once again leaving me unsure of Tom's plan--if he even has a plan.
Tom's journey truly begins as he starts to cover his tracks and decides that his only option is to attempt to steal Dickie's life. Tom tells Marge that Dickie is just taking time away. He tells those who know him as Tom that Dickie is away, and he tells others that he is Dickie. He cashes Dickies checks and lives in his home.
The other characters become pieces in Tom's game and he manipulates them to support his web of lies. Tom murders again when Dickie's friend, who has met Tom as Tom, is on the verge of discovering Tom's ruse. Once again, the murder does not seem predetermined, and Tom does it out of necessity because he cannot stand to lose his new lifestyle. Tom's lies and murders begin to spiral out of control as the police become involved. I found myself wondering if Tom would have to kill everyone in Italy that knew Dickie. I also began to empathize with Tom's delusional scheme because he seems to only want attention and affection from others.
Dickie's friends become increasingly worried about his absence, and Dickie's father travels to Italy and hires a private investigator. Just as Tom's evil plan is about to break apart, Tom gets away clean. Tom forges a suicide letter from Dickie, and the police and private investigator come to conclusions that leave Tom innocent.
Marge is the only person who suspects Tom, but she has become emotionally distressed and no one believes her. Dickie's father even leaves Tom some of Dickie's trust fund. Tom murders one last time as the movie ends. A man who had become his lover poses one last threat to his discovery because he still knows him as Tom, and others that know him as Dickie are aboard the same ship. Tom smothers him while crying to himself.
I found this movie to be thrilling, and honestly, confusing. I could watch it again and again and probably absorb some new, interesting aspect each time. Matt Damon gives a great performance that shows range that I have not seen in his later performances. I wish that I had seen this fantastic work of art earlier, and I am eager to read the books it is based on.