The Talented Mr. Ripley Movie Review 1999

Beautiful but ultimately hollow adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's chiller, which was previously filmed as 1960's "Purple Noon." This time around Damon takes on the title role as a poor nobody who is sent to Italy in 1958 to persuade rich playboy, Dickie Greenleaf (Law), to return to the bosom of his family in New York. Only the more the emotionally needy Ripley sees of Dickie's sybaritic lifestyle--the more he wants it for himself, even if it means killing Dickie and literally assuming his identity. Law is the draw and the movie suffers a letdown after his death.

Distribution

First Run Features, The Film Center Building, 630 Ninth Ave., Ste. 1213, New York, NY 10036, Phone: (212)243-0600, Toll-free: 800-229-8575, Fax: (212)989-7649, Email: info@firstrunfeatures.com, URL: http://www.firstrunfeatures.com

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 139 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Period Piece: 1950s, Sail Away, Italy, Not-So-True Identity, Rome--Modern, Gays, Jazz & Blues, Books to Film: Patricia Highsmith, Psychotics/Sociopaths, Tom Ripley, Nightclubs

Screenplay

Anthony Minghella

Cast

Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, Lisa Eichhorn, Stefania Rocca

Cinematography

John Seale

Director

Anthony Minghella

Music

Gabriel Yared

Producer

William Horberg, Sydney Pollack, Miramax Films, Paramount Pictures

Awards

British Acad. 1999: Support. Actor (Law); Natl. Bd. of Review 1999: Director (Minghella), Support. Actor (Hoffman).