Subtitles:

English (SDH), French, Spanish, none

Extras:

• Commentary by Anthony Minghella

• Reflections on The Talented Mr. Ripley (14:42)

The late '50s. New York lavatory attendant Tom Ripley (Damon) may not be conventionally talented, but he's very able when it comes to reacting on the spot, especially with little white lies. When shipbuilder Herbert Greenleaf assumes he's an old college pal of his son Dickie (Law), Ripley's quick to snap up the opportunity to visit Europe, purportedly to lure the playboy home, but actually to sample la dolce vita for himself. But, having wormed his way into the affections of Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Paltrow), he can't face losing his new-found life of leisure. Minghella's imaginative but mostly faithful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's classic study of a sociopathic killer is a class act, in every sense. Not only is it an elegantly polished affair, with top notch performances all round, and magnificent camerawork and editing, it's also acutely aware of how class, money and sex shape desire and resentment, and of the distinctions between presenting a facade to the world, outright pretence and the more radical practice of reinventing oneself. It's into these registers that Minghella weaves the most intriguing and ironic undertones.

This is precisely the effect of Anthony Minghella's new film, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," which bears a thematic resemblance to "Peeping Tom" in that both films ask and successfully seduce their audience into identifying, and ultimately sympathizing, with sociopathic characters. In "Mr. Ripley," Minghella has moved away from the David Lean-like epic romantic nature of "The English Patient," which won a myriad of Academy Awards in 1996, and deep into the perverse heart of Alfred Hitchcock. "The Talented Mr. Ripley" is a film Hitchcock would have been proud to make, which is as strong a compliment as one can give to Mingella's efforts in this uniformly first-rate, darkly chilling thriller.

Mr. Ripley of the title is a young man named Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), and his talents revolve around his ability to impersonate others. He puts these talents to good use when a wealthy American shipbuilding tycoon, Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn), mistakes Tom for a Princeton graduate and asks him to go to Mongibello, Italy, to convince his son, Dickie (Jude Law), to come back to the United States. Apparently, Dickie has graduated from Princeton and moved to Europe to "sow his wild oats." However, with a generous monthly allowance from his father, Dickie, who is a shallow, spoiled playboy, has decided that he likes it better abroad, and would much rather spend his time sailing boats than helping his father build them.

Gary Tooze

September 4th, 2013