Movie Review – The Talented Mr Ripley – 99% compatible with my movie preferences

 

Movie Review

The Talented Mr Ripley

I watched this movie yesterday evening (from when I'm writing this) but I needed a little time to process it before I started writing about it. After it finished, I was speechless, and would've sat watching the credits if Netflix hadn't immediately tried to force another movie on me.

I'll introduce the movie, and then get into the review.

Side-note, why is it so difficult to find a movie cover, and why don't they have proper blurbs like books?

In 1958, the charming but penniless Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is hired by a wealthy magnate to travel to Italy and rescue his son, Dickie (Jude Law), from a life of indolence. Upon arrival, Tom discovers that Dickie has it all - including a beautiful girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) - and begins to covet his luxurious lifestyle. Although Tom is sexually attracted to Dickie, the latter soon tires of him, and when Tom begins to find himself excluded from Dickie's coterie, his envy takes a murderous turn. Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel which also provided the inspiration for the pre-New Wave French classic 'Plein Soleil' and Wim Wenders' 'The American Friend'.

Amazon UK

(Or it's on Netflix. And you can rent it on Prime Video.)

My Review

If you know me at all, or have read any of my reviews before, because I mention it quite often, I am a massive fan of thrillers. In particular crime thrillers, but I don't think I've mentioned that detail before. Anyway, I was seeing this movie everywhere, it was popping up on Netflix all the time, Prime Video kept showing me trailers to it, and, according to Netflix, it was 99% compatible with my movie preferences. Obviously, I got so intrigued by seeing it everywhere, I had to watch it.

So, the movie premise – Tom Ripley is an adept lier, and one little white lie is what sends him down a hole of pretending, learning and disaster. He fills in for a friend, playing the piano when his friend has hurt his wrist, and wears his friend's Princeton jacket to complete the role. Unfortunately, in the audience is a couple whose son, Dickie Greenleaf, went to Princeton, and Tom pretends to have known him. A conversation ensues and, upon meeting a second time, Mr Greenleaf asks Tom to go to Italy to bring his son home, offering him $1000 to do so.

Considering he is broke, Tom accepts, and starts to create his role. He knows Dickie loves Jazz, so he grows accustomed to Jazz, learns the songs and the names of the artists. He arranges meetings to go the way he wants, but when he actually meets Dickie and his girlfriend, Marge, Tom's determination wavers. He double-crosses Mr Greenleaf and grows close to Dickie and Marge. While outwardly considering Dickie to be a brother, it is clear Tom's feelings go deeper than that.

I must say, I wasn't sure whether I should like the characters. At the start, you can't help but like Tom, and even when events happen wherein you should turn against him and start to hate him, you can't help but feel sorry for him in a way. It seems that he gets easily overwhelmed when he gets scared, and lashes out, but it's his actions afterwards that make you feel sorry for him. I don't want to spoil anything, but those of you who have seen the movie know what I am talking about. He seems to lose who he is, the web of lies he has created extending from lying to others to lying to himself. He is a spider caught in his own web, with no way to escape.

Tom backs himself into many corners, although he seems to be an artist at managing to get out of things. There are times when you think this is the end, this is where he gets caught out, but in a twist of events, something else has happened to turn people's heads away from him.

I really liked Marge and Peter. Peter doesn't feature until nearer the end of the film, but he is such a lovely person, and if you've seen the film, you'll know why I was so shocked at the end (intriguing, right?! Go watch it!). Marge genuinely loves Dickie, even if he is unfaithful, and his interest in her comes and goes. To begin with, Tom is a wonderful friend to Marge, and the two get along well, but as the movie progresses, and events unfold... let's just say things take a bit of a concerning turn.

I don't want to spoil this movie for anyone who hasn't seen it, and I think everything I've said so far only skims over the surface, rather than delving into what's buried beneath. Netflix was right when they said this was 99% my type of movie. If you love crime thrillers (and/or Matt Damon...) then you'll probably love this film. There is certainly suspense, a sprinkling of death here and there, and a pinch of a guilty conscience. All the ingredients for a perfectly crafted thriller.

Also, I found out that this film was based on a book. Which means I need to buy a book. Yay!

I think I'm done!

I honestly recommend you find this film somewhere (preferably legally) and give it a watch. It certainly has the feel of a 1999 movie, if you know what I mean. If not, watch it, and then you'll understand.

If anyone cares, or knows what I'm on about, this movie was number 70 on the Movie List.

Okay, that's it.

Bye!