In what seems to be amounting to a popular trend, director's that have had a huge hit continue going back to the same well for inspiration. Frank Darabont followed The Shawshank Redemption by releasing another early American, Stephen King written prison story with The Green Mile. Anthony Minghella decided to follow-up his 1996 Oscar winning The English Patient with another adaptation of tough read, Patricia Highsmith's first book in the Ripley series, The Talented Mr. Ripley.
Young Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) is a talented musician who has tried his entire life to become someone better. By an off chance, Tom fills in for another piano player and gets mistaken by industrialist Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn) as a collegiate friend of his son. Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law) has been squandering his inheritance in Italy, which infuriates his steadfast father. Herbert offers Tom a hefty sum to bring Dickie back to the United States (In what continues throughout the film, details and insight are left out to facilitate the movement of the story).
After Tom has "prepared" for his trip- learning Dickie's favorite jazz, preparing to act like an aristocrat- he "accidentally" runs into Dickie and Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) on the beach. After this brief encounter, he manages to get invited to their house and begins his role-playing. Soon after, Tom confesses his true mission to Dickie, and they both decide to string Dickie's father along and take his money. Much of the film continues to rush along at this pace and chooses to concentrate on Tom's various roles, rather than actual in-depth plot analysis. Tom's infatuation with money and acceptance forces him to dote on Dickie, which in turn forces the inevitable dark outcome.
Matt Damon's boyish charm sometimes covers the fact that he is actually a good actor. In his role as Ripley, Damon is able to stretch his acting muscle into many separate veins: as a bumbling, yet talented Ripley, his personification of Dickie Greenleaf, as a jazz singer, and many others. This role will probably get Matt Damon an Oscar nomination and push his status into the upper echelon of actors.
Jude Law's portrayal of spoiled, playboy Dickie Greenleaf is also played extremely well, and should see some attention in the Supporting Actor category. Gwyneth Paltrow continues to excel in a role that is getting repetitive: cute, naïve, love-stricken female lead.
When The English Patient was released, it was lauded with praise and went on to win several Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director. However, what films truly deserve recognition should not be subjective to merely a handful of cinema critics and film literati; who in turn incite favorable public approval. In fact, much of the public was not that overly impressed with the film (remember the Seinfeld skit?). I feel much of the same sentiment towards Ripley.
The film does have excellent acting and lush cinematography, yet the story falters. The complete lack of background into the life of Tom Ripley gives the audience nothing to base their judgement on (Although this movie is based on a book of a series, a better foundation could have been provided). In addition, much of the film seems to be a harried account of the travails of Ripley, rather than establishing a smooth flow throughout the plot. The film does touch on some excellent themes of self-esteem and the perception of truth, but in the end, it is a rush through someone's experience rather than an examination of a problem.
