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Laramie Movie Scope:
The Talented Mr. Ripley

The nicest young handsome psychopathic killer you will ever meet

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by Robert Roten, Film Critic
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December 28, 1999 -- Based on a continuing series of novels by Patricia Highsmith, the movie "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a story of a nice, handsome, polite psychopathic killer. He's an impostor, who, once having tasted the good life, is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep it, even at the cost of his own identity.

Oh, he doesn't do it by design, rather he just goes with the flow, killing people only when he thinks it is necessary. Watch out when he asks you, "Are you alone?" It means he wonders if there is anyone who would miss you if you suddenly disappeared. The killer is played by Matt Damon ("Dogma") in a very chilling performance of Tom Ripley.

Ripley happens across a chance to go to Italy to persuade a rich playboy, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law of "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil") to come home to America. Once there, he sees that Greenleaf has no intention of going home, so he decides to stay as long as he can, forming a complex relationship between both Greenleaf and his girlfriend, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow of "Shakespeare in Love").

When Greenleaf tells Ripley he's had enough of Ripley's leaching off of his money, Ripley kills him in a fit of rage and then decides to assume his personality since they look similar. Ripley's talents include forgery and mimicking the voices of others. He even goes so far as to fake an interest in music he doesn't like in order to gain the favors of others.

Ripley's dizzying deceptions threaten to confuse even him when he is forced to be himself, and then instantly switch to his impersonation of Greenleaf, and to invent stories and excuses why they both can't be seen together. He has to keep track of who has seen him as Ripley and who has seen him as Greenleaf. He also begins to ruthlessly eliminate witnesses who have seen him as both Greenleaf and Ripley.

The fact that Ripley is not caught immediately is attributed to the ineptitude of the local police, the language barriers, and that apparently all Americans look alike. This is one of the places the story breaks down. As clever as Ripley is, he leaves behind too much evidence. Even a cursory examination of Ripley's apartment with out-of-date forensic scientific techniques would have revealed the blood of his victims crying out for justice.

Fortune seems to smile on Tom Ripley as he travels his murderous route. He comes into money and is thought of kindly by most people. Apparently bisexual, he can turn the charm on for either sex, if need be. He has pangs of guilt, of course, but he pushes those down deep inside, he explains to a friend, into a dark place in his soul. He sees no reason to go there. The only trouble is, with all the deceptions, and all the secrets, just who is the real Tom Ripley? You almost feel sorry for the guy, but not sorry enough to turn your back on him.

In addition to the problems I had with the easy way Ripley eludes police and the easy way he comes into money, this movie just didn't know when to quit. Director Anthony Minghella, as in his last movie "The English Patient," keeps the story going a good 15 or 20 minutes past its natural conclusion, but at least this time the story is more interesting. This film rates a B.

Click here for links to places to buy this movie in video and/or DVD format, the soundtrack, books, even used videos, games and lots of other stuff. I suggest you shop at least two of these places before buying anything. Prices seem to vary continuously. For more information on this film, click on this link to The Internet Movie Database. Type in the name of the movie in the search box and press enter. You will be able to find background information on the film, the actors, and links to much more information.

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Copyright © 1999 Robert Roten. All rights reserved.
Reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder.
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Robert Roten can be reached via e-mail at my last name at lariat dot org. [Mailer button: image of letter and envelope]