Directed by: Anthony Minghella
Starring: Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, James Rebhorn, Cate Blanchett, Jack Davenport
Watching this film again for the first time since its initial release in 1999, I find myself feeling so dreadfully sorry for Tom Ripley, an opportunist who stoops to murder and deception because "I would rather be a fake somebody than a real nobody." He is intelligent and good-looking, but he is like wallpaper. We see it's there, we may even admire it for a second, but then it is quickly forgotten as we move on to other things. When an opportunity falls into his lap to get a taste of the life which has eluded him, he does what is necessary to hold on to it.
We do not know who Tom Ripley (Damon) really is, but we see glimpses of why he is "talented." When he is asked what he is good at, he replies matter-of-factly, "Forging signatures, telling lies, and impersonating almost anyone." We see how well he does these things soon enough. All of these skills are honed to perfection by the film's end, along with murder. The Talented Mr. Ripley is based on a novel by Patricia Highsmith. It was the first in a series about the Ripley character, who in future books found himself living the high life he craved, but always with the sense that it may all be snatched away at any moment. Ripley finds he can live with that paranoia.
As the film opens, Tom is playing piano for a soprano at a party with affluent guests. He is wearing a suit jacket with the Princeton emblem emblazoned on it, which draws the attention of Herbert Greenleaf (Rebhorn). Herbert assumes Ripley went to Princeton and therefore must know his son Dickie (Law). Tom says nothing to dissuade his incorrect assumption. We learn Dickie is living off of his family allowance in Italy and his father wants him to return home. He offers to pay for Tom's expenses in exchange for attempting to lure Dickie home.
Tom spots Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Paltrow) on a beach and pretends to stumble across them. Tom looks completely out of place on the beach. "You're gray almost," Dickie says in reference to Tom's ghastly lack of color. Tom keeps up the façade of being a Princeton grad. Dickie soon invites him to lunch while confessing to Marge he doesn't remember him. No matter. Dickie, Marge, and Tom become instant friends.
Tom is enraptured by the opulent lifestyle that Dickie takes for granted. When he fails to bring Dickie home, Herbert releases him from his obligation but does not pay him anymore, which causes Tom distress. His dream of living this life will soon be snatched away. There are other matters that further complicate things, including the arrival of Freddie Miles (Hoffman), an old friend of Dickie's who steals away his attention from Tom. Marge senses Tom's disappointment. "When Dickie is focused on you, you feel like the sun is shining only on you. But when Dickie moves on, it's cold in the shadows." She has long resigned herself to this truth about him.
Tom's sexuality is part of the undertone in his scenes with Dickie. We sense Tom is likely homosexual and in love with Dickie, but we also see him hooking up with women when the need arises. Tom may not even see the world in such terms. He just latches on to whomever can help him the most. At some points, Dickie, Freddie, and Marge all suspect that Tom is not who he seems to be. They nurture their suspicions, but Tom is so charming and endlessly obliging that they are disarmed.
I will not go further into the plot except to say there are numerous opportunities in which Tom is nearly exposed, but he manages to avoid this through quick thinking and ingenuity. It is a shame someone as intelligent and resourceful as Tom is saddled with such low self-esteem. Damon masterfully handles the various moving parts that make up Tom Ripley. As the real Tom, he is great at just being forgettable. As the Tom that Dickie and Marge grow to confide in, he learns to inhabit their world like a social chameleon.
Jude Law was nominated for a Best Supporting Actor Oscar as Dickie. We see why people would be drawn to him and we see why people would be so disappointed when he shuns them. Friendship to him is cyclical. You are his best friend until you're not. He is a charismatic guy capable of dumping old friends and gathering up new ones with cold efficiency. He may not even realize how much he affects others. It is just his misfortune that he learns it too late.
The only quibble I have with the film is that the story does get drawn out to preposterous lengths. At two hours, 19 minutes, it easily could have been tightened up. We see Tom get away with so much and such escalating, ludicrous fashion that we go from being co-conspirators to simply hoping he'd either get caught or get away with it. The Talented Mr. Ripley exists almost masterfully in the performances and the nature of its protagonist. It is rare we see someone so uncomfortable in his own skin and the darkness it invites.
No comments:
Post a Comment