A gripping, entertaining thriller, full of fine performances, which captures a faraway time and place like a dream.
The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:121
Fresh:98
Rotten:23
Average Rating:7.3/10
Consensus: The Talented Mr. Ripley is an intelligent, classy thriller featuring great performances and visuals.
Runtime: 2 hrs 19 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Set against a luxurious Italian backdrop, Anthony Minghella's suspenseful film follows Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a young New York men's room attendant, who is befriended by the father of a spoiled... Set against a luxurious Italian backdrop, Anthony Minghella's suspenseful film follows Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a young New York men's room attendant, who is befriended by the father of a spoiled playboy, Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law). Dickie's father sends Tom to track down his wayward son in Venice and return him to his family in America. Tom, whose talents include forgery and impersonating voices, charms his way into the lives of Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow), where he experiences first hand how the other half lives. Tom's immediate attraction to Dickie makes apparent his desire to be anyone but himself, and as the friendship develops, his true character begins to emerge. As Dickie grows tired and suspicious of his new acquaintance, Tom sees his new life slipping away. Unwilling to return to his old lifestyle, he takes extreme measures in order to ensure his place in the privileged world that he has grown to love. Establishing an intricate web of lies, Tom himself seems to forget what is real and what is not. [More]
Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett
Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jack Davenport, James Rebhorn, Sergio Rubini, Philip Baker Hall, Celia Weston
Director: Anthony Minghella
Director: Anthony Minghella
Screenwriter: Anthony Minghella
Producer: William Horberg, Tom Sternberg
Composer: Gabriel Yared
Reviews for The Talented Mr. Ripley
Based on a character from a series of novels written by Patricia Highsmith, the film is loaded with intrigue and suspense, making it one of the year’s best.
The kind of sophisticated, old-fashioned thriller Hollywood doesn't get around to much anymore.
Will have every congregation of movie viewers sitting in continuous apprehension.
It is a suspense film released by Miramax over the holiday season for maximum financial and Oscar-related benefits.
He [Director Anthony Minghella] and cinematographer John Seale keep our interest alive through the sheer beauty of the images.
Matt Damon is simply not convincing in this role. Not only is his performance flat, but he is unable to generate any sense of menace.
The Talented Mr. Ripley offers diabolically smart surprises wherever you care to look.
Perhaps at 90 or so minutes, it would have been the Hitchcockian thriller that it isn't at the beginning but turns into. At two hours and 20 minutes, there's too much of the film that feels like reiteration.
The real selling point is Damon, who gives the performance of his career.
Overall, this film is intriguing enough to sit through, but difficult to fully recommend because of its slow pace and lack of real tension.
Anthony Minghella's terrific The Talented Mr. Ripleyoffers us the guilty seasonal pleasure of wallowing in evil in its most luxuriant form.
Ultimately, those who can relate to Ripley's loneliness and alienation are far more likely to 'enjoy' the film than people who have no similar sense of isolation.
...creates tension in a cool, calculated manner, building slowly, incrementally, and all the more chillingly for its effort.
Latest News for The Talented Mr. Ripley
October 03, 2008:
Further Reading: Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker in Abel Ferrara's Mary
As the NFT in London prepares a Juliette Binoche season, Kim looks at Abel Ferrara's Mary which also stars Marion Cotillard and Forest Whittaker. More...
March 18, 2008:
Anthony Minghella: A Tomatometer Retrospective
English filmmaker Anthony Minghella had a sparse but critically acclaimed career by the time of his passing today at the age of 54. We turn to the six films Minghella directed,... More...
March 18, 2008:
Anthony Minghella: 1954-2008
Anthony Minghella, the Oscar-winning director of The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley, and Cold Mountain, has passed away at the age of 54. More...
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