There’s no other way to say it: The Talented Mr. Ripley is a torturous journey through the beautiful landscape of Italy, inside the diabolical mind of a killer.
Matt Damon plays the infamous Mr. Tom Ripley. With steady calculation, his character manipulates his way into the home and eventually into the life of Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a flamboyant playboy whose carefree lifestyle and trusting nature end up leading to his own demise. Damon captures the essence of Tom Ripley with scary precision. His charming looks and innocent appeal help him carry off the twisted role with ease and near perfection. His struggle with societal graces, and what he wants, and how he perceives it all is harrowing. Though he is a man confused, how he maneuvers his way into the life and home of Dickie is quite compelling; it’s true, you can’t help but be drawn to the guy, as frightening as he may be.
Credit is also due to the Ripley supporting cast. Jude Law is a natural as the trust-fund baby pissing away money and time, while Gwenyth Paltrow’s portrayal of Marge is so pathetically instinctual, you can’t help but want to smack her around. And I can’t forget Phillip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett as some rather distasteful Americans. Their timing and self-centeredness slightly off-balance the film’s rhythm, which is essential in its plight to depict people, and to its success. It’s difficult to really like any of these characters, but I think that’s exactly the point. People aren’t always as they seem, and by emphasizing the negativity in all types of people, it’s easy to see how brutal reality really can be. This explains why Tom is constantly practicing impersonations: he wants to be someone else. He’d much rather be “a fake somebody, than a real nobody.” Who could blame him?
The Talented Mr. Ripley offers more than just stellar performances and a glamorous landscape; it’s a masterful depiction of life and fear. There is so much more happening with Tom Ripley that we can’t possibly comprehend in one sitting. I had to spend a night delving back and forth into the plot and mind of this complex creation, until I was ready to explode. The more I think about it, the more this movie grows on me. Not the way a flower blooms, but more like a twisted weed that, after you pull it out once, keeps coming back again and again, until you finally stop and accept it for what it is: nature. A side of nature that isn’t exactly appealing.
With creepy vibes and a haunting story line, The Talented Mr. Ripley makes its way into your head. There’s no escape; once you see it, like Tom Ripley, you’ll be tormented.
+ Ashley Adams
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