It's no wonder that "The Talented Mr. Ripley," directed by Anthony Minghella, has already been nominated for the Best Picture (Drama) Golden Globe award, and its star Matt Damon for Best Performance by an Actor (Drama). This thriller set in 1950s Italy is one of the year's creepiest, most unusual films.
Damon stars in the title role as Tom Ripley, a Manhattan lavatory attendant. In the film's opening sequence, Damon borrows a Princeton blazer to play piano at a rooftop party.
Following the performance, a rich couple assumes that Ripley must have known their son, Dickie Greenleaf (a stunningly attractive Jude Law), at Princeton.
The Greenleafs are concerned that Dickie, who is living it up in Europe on his father's money, has no intention of returning home. So, they offer Ripley a deal: they'll pay for him to go to Europe if he will try to persuade Dickie to come back to the States. Ripley accepts.
It's clear from the outset that Damon's seemingly innocuous lie will not be his last -- the first part of the film is heavy with foreshadowing of the depth that his sequence of lies would attain.
After a brief interlude, the film cuts to Ripley as he arrives on an Italian beach mobbed with a darkly-tanned crowd worthy of "Baywatch."
Actually, "arrives" may not be the best choice of words -- before Ripley actually sets foot on the sand, he spies on Dickie and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood, played by Gwyneth Paltrow, through a pair of binoculars. From his peeping-place, he mouths the words for "this is my face" in Italian while focusing on Dickie.
After introducing himself, Ripley eventually gains Dickie's trust and, seemingly, his friendship. However, when Dickie grows tired of his not-so-new toy and Ripley shows no intention of leaving, something must give.
The deadly encounter that ensues changes the mood of the film from one of apprehension to an outright display of evil on Ripley's part.
Ripley defies the viewer's expectations of him. By the end, the emotionally tortured man has no defining characteristics except what he himself admits -- he'd "rather be a fake somebody than a real nobody."
Ripley won't let what seems like love or friendship stop him from attaining his goal of becoming a "somebody."
However, while Damon's character is thoroughly evil, many of the emotions that drive him are within us all -- making him all the more terrifying.
Not only are the plot twists captivating and the scenery and acting excellent, but Minghella's filming style and the visual artistry are very original and insightful.
This movie should definitely be on everyone's movie-viewing schedule, but you'll likely be too chilled to see it more than once.
