The Talented Mr. Ripley

It's not often that a person's unique talent is in being someone else. The multitude of identity, or lack thereof, is what drives Anthony Minghella's worthy follow-up to his 1996 Oscar-laden film, "The English Patient." Tackling a plethora of themes such as the arrogance of blue-blooded ivy leaguers, the European tourist scene, the jazz era, and even homosexuality, Minghella's romantic thriller once again follows the reckless actions of already doomed people, weaving a highly complex psychological thriller that is as compelling in its plot as it is in its characters.

Matt Damon stars as Tom Ripley, a nobody, who through the machinations of circumstance, manages to meet Mr. Greenleaf, a shipping industry tycoon. Greenleaf offers to pay Ripley to retrieve his spoiled son Dickie from the shores of Italy and his girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Ripley's errand quickly fails, and he soon leaches into the life of Dickie and Marge to their immediate content and later disapproval. Issues become far more difficult to manage as Ripley begins to assume Dickie's lifestyle, while maintaining his identity as Ripley, and further closeting another persona.

Minghella manages to recreate the same elegance and enchantment seen in "The English Patient," and infuse it into "The Talented Mr. Ripley," though the situations are perhaps less grandiose only due to the content. The film, set against the colorful palette of Italian sunshine and sunsets (beautifully captured by Minghella's cinematographer John Seale), manages to maintain its balance as a period piece and thriller, while not falling prey to becoming an uneven mess. The music even switches from being saccharine to suddenly baroque as the shadow of murder closes in.

The most engaging aspect of Mr. Ripley, is in the method of the story's unraveling. One of the most fascinating elements in "The English Patient" was its unique narrative style. Minghella's script takes the same risks by having characters constantly reveal information to each other that from the point of view of an audience, should remain secret. The characters then have to deal with the mess resulting from these actions, as the non-conformist plot pays off by managing to defy viewer expectations, yet grab their attention from its unpredictable nature.

Ripley, the character that is most influenced by the narrative style, must constantly compensate in his identity changes as the situation frequently fluctuates from safety to danger. His manipulation of identity is central to the plot's credence. The script, written by Minghella (based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith) is in itself is a wonder to behold. The identities of Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf rotate around each other, molding a plot out of their concentric circles. When circumstance and danger intertwine, Tom and Dickie swivel in closer and closer degrees, until they can get no closer than in the finale which takes place on a boat.

Damon is very convincing as the tortured and confused Tom Ripley. It is this combination of his very mysterious aura and frequent personality changes that manages to support the execution of his plans and solidify his career as an actor and not a mere one-time starlet. Jude Law, who plays Dickie Greenleaf is dynamic as he should be, and the supporting cast is effective in their bit roles as well. The film, another fine example of well crafted art, is one of the year's best, and should stake a claim as one of the best multi-genre pieces of the 1990's.