Review: The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

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The Talented Mr. Ripley

Rating

Director

Anthony Minghella

Screenplay

Anthony Minghella (Novel: Patricia Highsmith)

Length

2h 19m

Starring

Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, Celia Weston

MPAA Rating

Review

Everyone becomes obsessed about someone or something at some point in their lives, but rarely do they take it to any dangerous extremes. “The Talented Mr. Ripley” is Anthony Minghella’s meditation on the topic of obsession.

“Ripley” is the story of young Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) who plays piano non-professionally and ends up lying to a wealthy Ivy League father saying that he’d gone to school with his son Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). To compound matters, Dickie has taken it upon himself to hide out in Italy and his father wants him to return home, so he offers to pay Tom’s way to Europe so that he can convince his son to return home.

Dickie is there with his fiancée Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow) and Tom happens upon them deceitfully on a beach. He convinces Dickie that they went to school together and impedes on their “vacation.” From there, he weeds his way into their lives and Dickie convinces Tom to use the money that his father is paying to help supplement their incomes.

Things turn for the worse when Tom becomes insanely obsessed with Dickie and Marge and eventually causes more trouble than any of them were expecting.

Minghella’s directorial résumé goes back to 1991 and the film “Truly Madly Deeply,” which he also wrote. In 1996, he adapted and directed “The English Patient” for which he received his first and so far only Oscar. “Ripley” is the third film that he has both directed and adapted and it shows. He knows his story and understands it well enough to effectively direct it.

One major problem with the film is that outside of Law’s performance, there are no other outstanding ones. Law is mesmerizing as the young, handsome Dickie. His performance captures every syllable of a spoiled rich kid. Cate Blanchett, as the “other woman” Meredith Logue does well in her unfortunately limited role.

Paltrow does nothing but walk gingerly through her lines and scream when she needs to. She never gets her character out of its two-dimensional mold. Damon is a bit better and his characterization is solid, but his voice and exaggerated expressions are annoying and unnecessary.

However, the most pointless and annoying performance comes from indie darling Philip Seymour Hoffman who plays Dickie’s close friend Freddie Miles. His character, while different from his role in “Magnolia” in tone and pattern, is neither interesting, nor necessary. He drags himself through every scene chewing every bit of scenery he can get his hands on and never once makes a suitable impact in the film.

The biggest problem, however, is that the film runs rather long and the pacing isn’t as quick as it has been in other recent films of “Ripley’s” length. At just over two hours and 15 minutes, it feels as if you’ve sat through a three-hour film and never repents for that.

Tom is the epitome of psychotic obsession and frightening exuberance. Minghella weaves his story in and out, but never to the glorious extent of “The English Patient.” While the story stays primarily linear, the intricate details that might expose Tom’s ruse pop up at unusual moments. There is never a moment when you’re not wondering if Tom will escape final judgment.

Then, just when you start to have pity for Tom, he does something that forces you to lose respect for him. He is the true anti-hero and never is there a moment when you can say for sure that he is either good or evil, because until the very end the question remains unanswered.

It’s that uncertainty that helps the film flow from frame to frame with relatively few problems. Minghella certainly has a knack for film, but needs to focus a little more on his actor direction. In only a few years, he has become one of the premiere filmmakers working today. If his output remains consistently exceptional, he could easily be placed in the pantheon of legends whose films touched millions and asked more questions than can be discussed in a lifetime.

Awards Prospects

It’s a Miramax film, anything can happen. Picture, actor, supporting actor, supporting actress, director, adapted screenplay, cinematography, art direction and costume design are not out the question or unlikely.