ICTChris Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I watched 'The Talented Mr Ripley' on Film4 last night, I thought it was an excellent film. The story concerns the eponymous Mr Ripley (Matt Damon), a struggling piano tuner with a talent for lying and deception, who by accident falls into being paid by a rich New Yorker to go to Southern Italy and persuade the sponsors son Greenleaf (Jude Law) to return to the US. Ripley, having borrowed a Princeton blazer from a friend, slips into the 'role' of an old school friend of the brattish Greenleaf. The old fashioned father pays Ripley $1,000 and he heads to Italy. Once there he ingratiates himself with Greenleaf and slowly begins to become obsessed with his target, developing a strong attraction to him. Greenleaf, on the other hand, flits from friend to friend and begins to tire of the increasingly dependant Ripley. Matters come to a head when Ripley confesses his feelings for Greenleaf on a boat trip but is rebuffed and told he is 'boring'. A fight ensues and Ripley beats Greenleaf to death with an oar. Ripley sinks the boat and disposes of the body before going ashore and assuming Greenleafs identity and lifestyle. using his forgery skills he gains access to Greenleafs allowance and sends communications to hsi fiancee insinuating he is abandoning her. Ripley's deception is discovered by a boorish friend of Greenleafs who Ripley beats to death and thus begins a cat-and-mouse match between him and Italian police as they bid to discover the murderer. Ripley has to balance this with the deception against Greenleafs increasingly heartbroken and suspicious fiancee. Eventually Ripley forges a suicide note, ensuring he is left a portion of Greenleafs inheritence and that the murdered playboy is blamed for the murder. Greenleaf's fiancee, Gwyneth Paltrow, works out that Ripley has killed Greenleaf but her outbursts are dismissed as that of a grieving hysterical woman and she is taken back to the US, a broken figure. The movie ends with Ripley finally finding happiness with a gay friend of Greenleafs on a boat trip to Athens. The happiness is ended when an American girl who knew Ripley as Greenleaf spots him, meaning Ripley has to assume his deception. Realising that his new lover is the only person who will link him to the string of fraud, lies and murder, Ripley kills him, asking him to "tell me some good things about Tom Ripley" before strangling him whlist weeping for his last chnace at happiness. I thought it was superb (not done justice by my babbling summary). Matt Damon played the tragic sociopath very well - although he is a multiple killer, liar, thief and deciever Ripley isn't quite the bad guy in this and his crimes seem to be motivated by a classical tragic desire for love and acceptance. After battering Greenleaf to death we see him cuddling into his corpse as though it was his lover as the boat bobs in water. This is balanced by brutal dishonesty, the way we see his crimes reduce Paltrows character to a wreck, her love taken away and she abandoned. Jude Law is superb in it, he is the perfect character to play an arrogant rich kid. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I watched 'The Talented Mr Ripley' on Film4 last night, I thought it was an excellent film.The story concerns the eponymous Mr Ripley (Matt Damon), a struggling piano tuner with a talent for lying and deception, who by accident falls into being paid by a rich New Yorker to go to Southern Italy and persuade the sponsors son Greenleaf (Jude Law) to return to the US. Ripley, having borrowed a Princeton blazer from a friend, slips into the 'role' of an old school friend of the brattish Greenleaf. The old fashioned father pays Ripley $1,000 and he heads to Italy. Once there he ingratiates himself with Greenleaf and slowly begins to become obsessed with his target, developing a strong attraction to him. Greenleaf, on the other hand, flits from friend to friend and begins to tire of the increasingly dependant Ripley. Matters come to a head when Ripley confesses his feelings for Greenleaf on a boat trip but is rebuffed and told he is 'boring'. A fight ensues and Ripley beats Greenleaf to death with an oar. Ripley sinks the boat and disposes of the body before going ashore and assuming Greenleafs identity and lifestyle. using his forgery skills he gains access to Greenleafs allowance and sends communications to hsi fiancee insinuating he is abandoning her. Ripley's deception is discovered by a boorish friend of Greenleafs who Ripley beats to death and thus begins a cat-and-mouse match between him and Italian police as they bid to discover the murderer. Ripley has to balance this with the deception against Greenleafs increasingly heartbroken and suspicious fiancee. Eventually Ripley forges a suicide note, ensuring he is left a portion of Greenleafs inheritence and that the murdered playboy is blamed for the murder. Greenleaf's fiancee, Gwyneth Paltrow, works out that Ripley has killed Greenleaf but her outbursts are dismissed as that of a grieving hysterical woman and she is taken back to the US, a broken figure. The movie ends with Ripley finally finding happiness with a gay friend of Greenleafs on a boat trip to Athens. The happiness is ended when an American girl who knew Ripley as Greenleaf spots him, meaning Ripley has to assume his deception. Realising that his new lover is the only person who will link him to the string of fraud, lies and murder, Ripley kills him, asking him to "tell me some good things about Tom Ripley" before strangling him whlist weeping for his last chnace at happiness. I thought it was superb (not done justice by my babbling summary). Matt Damon played the tragic sociopath very well - although he is a multiple killer, liar, thief and deciever Ripley isn't quite the bad guy in this and his crimes seem to be motivated by a classical tragic desire for love and acceptance. After battering Greenleaf to death we see him cuddling into his corpse as though it was his lover as the boat bobs in water. This is balanced by brutal dishonesty, the way we see his crimes reduce Paltrows character to a wreck, her love taken away and she abandoned. Jude Law is superb in it, he is the perfect character to play an arrogant rich kid. Your talents are wasted on here Chris, get yourself down to the Guardian immediately. A superb review. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetooner Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Stuff about talented Mr Ripley There is a semi-decent sequal to it called Ripleys Game, with John Malkovich as Ripley. Last films i watched was Last King of Scotland, Forrest Whitaker was brilliant, although i did have the comment "are all scottish guys horny b*****ds" quite soon into the film. 8/10 I also watched Dreamgirls, which was excellent if you are into musicals. If like me you arent really, it was ok. 6/10. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ICTChris Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 There is a semi-decent sequal to it called Ripleys Game, with John Malkovich as Ripley. I am going to buy the series of books, I can't believe how much I enjoyed the film. My burd didn't like it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluetooner Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I am going to buy the series of books, I can't believe how much I enjoyed the film. My burd didn't like it. so you are free of having to watch every single film with Jude Law in it then? (my wife is a huge Jude Law fan) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musketeer Gripweed Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I'm going to follow Chris' lead. Having watched American History X the other night, I thought I would watch another Norton film tonight. So I watched, ach you know the score. I can't talk about it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I'm going to follow Chris' lead.Having watched American History X the other night, I thought I would watch another Norton film tonight. So I watched, ach you know the score. I can't talk about it. Rounders? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musketeer Gripweed Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Naw, The Italian Job. It's pish. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 As bad as Herbie? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musketeer Gripweed Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 I hated the Herbie films when I was young as well for some reason. Ed Norton would be a great Child Catcher in a remake of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The tattoos he had in American History X would immediately show the kids (expect for the ones in Airdrie) that he was the bad guy. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swarley Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Aeon Flux, not bad but not great either 6/10 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinlossbhoy Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 Just finished watching hannibal rising... good, not a patch on silence of the lambs.. but better than hannibal... 7/10 i will say 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DJP Posted June 12, 2007 Share Posted June 12, 2007 (edited) FAO: Everyone else who has watched American History X As well as the curb scene making me laugh. When the big fat lad goes to there run down apartment he starts to eat a bowl of Jelly Beans. Don't know if anyone else noticed, or just me as I have watched it so many times, but you see him throw away a Jelly bean, it is of course the only black one in site When I was younger I was slightly racist and my then girlfriend told me to watch the film to help change my views. I was nearly converted until the end scene of the film, which made me even worse No longer right wing for the record Edited June 12, 2007 by DJP 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spud131 Posted June 19, 2007 Share Posted June 19, 2007 Watched Apocalypto earlier - 8/10 Very good film, very graphic but not really excessive!! Very good, go see it!!! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 memento 6/10 One of them annoying films that jumps forwards and backwards all the time 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaltyTON Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I bought The Big Lebowski from Tesco for £3.10/10 I fucking love that film B) Just bought it on Amazon for £3.64, just to see what the fuss is about... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dundee Par Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I borrowed Smokin Aces off my mate. It was quite good but I was getting confused at parts. Didn't know who half the characters were because I was kind of playing Football Manager at the same time. I'd give it 7/10. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uberman Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Just bought it on Amazon for £3.64, just to see what the fuss is about... It's a great film, I bought it from Blockbusters a few months ago for £2 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa Cuddy Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 I have no idea, but I wouldn't mind betting it had Al Pa-fucking-cino in it. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 20, 2007 Share Posted June 20, 2007 Hot Fuzz 8/10 the end ruins it a bit 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.