LogFAQs > #947489508

1. The Talented Mr. Ripley
Total score: 64

John - 1
Gen - 1
Charon - 1
Snake - 3
Jona - 4
Metal - 6
Inviso - 6
KBM - 19
Karo - 23

John
Why I Chose It
Because it was the first film (that I can remember) to really make me question my sexuality. There are plenty of other reasons why it SHOULD be included, such as how it effortlessly weaves Ripley bisexuality into his character's neurosis, as his desire for everyone he comes across slowly turns into obsession and a need to be loved and accepted by them, and ultimately leads to him wreaking havoc and devastation on those around him in an effort to both emotionally and legally defend himself. But why I actually chose it? Because I am a biased person who as a questioning young person long the way Matt Damon longingy stared at a gorgeous Jude Law and found myself encapsulated by a longing desire I didn't fully understand at the time, and to this day, at least 5 watches down, I still adore this movie above most others.

What I Thought
Everything about this film is incredible. Matt Damon gives the best performance of his career here imo, but that's not to say anyone else is lacking. Law, Paltrow, Hoffman, etc. Every piece of this film is placed together with such precision and care. I adore when a film can effortlessly pull off an excellent genre shift. Almost everything about this film feels like it's heading in the direction of complicated forbidden romance, right up until Jude Law gets beaten to death with an oar, immediately diving deep into the thriller that had been slowly building behind Ripley's glasses. I've seen this movie maybe 5 times now, and each time I swear I love it more than the last.

Gen
Immediately upon completion of The Talented Mr. Ripley I had to go back and rewatch some of my favorite scenes. That is the mark of a fantastic film: it stays in your conscience and inspires you to want to relive it over and over again. Tom Ripley is a fascinating character who, at least as I interpreted it, doesn't fall in love with Dickie Greenleaf so much as his wealth and lifestyle. The conflicting nature of his twisted "love" for Dickie and his sense of self-preservation motivate him to commit some heinous crimes, and, using the talents displayed throughout the first act of the film he quickly evolves into the villain of his own story. In the ultimate twist of irony, once Tom develops a far more genuine romance with a different man- one who accepts him for who he thinks he is- Ripley is forced to dispose of Peter to protect his identity thereby eliminating his chance at happiness. I really did think he was going to get away with everything because he had been so clever and lucky up until this point, but thankfully this wasn't entirely the case. Bravo!

Charon
(no write-up submitted)

Snake
A terrifying portrait of a psychopath, played to perfection by Matt Damon. The LGBT themes here are played up more as an obsession by Ripley and play wonderfully into the pathos of his character. Much like American Psycho, I love the clashing of high-society with despicable crimes and there are times when Ripley even rivals Bateman in his tranquil insanity. Once again, bursts of violence punctuate the picture with startling brutality, only accenuating the film's strong themes of attachment, identity, & infidelity.

Jona
Early in the movie its established that theres something not quite right with Mr. Ripley. The movie has
a good sense of anticipation and buildup of when everything will go wrong. During that time, Ripley has
a good dynamic with Dickie. I found the movie to be a pretty exciting thriller once shit goes down. I
loved seeing the different ways Ripley tried to get out of suspicion. The movie definitely has times where
things can be too coincidental, Cate Blanchetts character pretty much exists to make things more hectic
for Ripley, but those moments also made things more exciting. I just loved anticipating what would
happen next.

Metal
Distinct to me most of all for its enthralling, convincing acting from its stacked cast; Toms motivations and psyche in particular are frighteningly real. The principals, most importantly Anthony Minghella, also deserve commendation for properly realizing that a subdued slow burn (musical direction included) can render the drama more compelling even while enhancing the shock factor. If anything, the resulting movie is perhaps a tad too slow, especially early on. The setting is notable in its own right for always being striking but never being the point, hammered in by all the crucial characters being a bunch of expats.

Inviso
Fun fact: I had never seen this movie before, but for some reason I always thought this movie
was Mr. Hollands Opus. Anyway, this was pretty intense. Its like a more violent version of
Catch Me If You Can (admittedly Leo is more charming than Matt Damon). Its just amazing
to watch Tom Ripley weave an intricate web of lies, all starting with an innocent observation
about his college from a borrowed jacket. He joins high society and falls in love with Jude
Laws Dickie Greenleaf, only to start having to kill off victim after victim, as his efforts to
maintain his status snowball out of control. The amazing thing is that, aside from Gwenth
Paltrow not buying his lies, he manages to get away with all of his crimes, yet in the end, he
doesnt get a happy ending. That last moment of subterfuge bites him in the ass, and hes forced
to kill the one person who loves him for himself in order to keep all those plates spinning. Its a
really interesting plot, and even more impressive is how much lying is required to keep one step
ahead of his fate.

KBM
Consistently entertaining and very twisty, this incredibly well-acted thriller is one of
those movies I kind of feel like I need to watch a second time to fully appreciate.
Features one of Matt Damon's best performances, playing against his normal type as
the chameleonic, disturbing Mr. Ripley, and he's surrounded by an incredibly stacked
supporting cast (with the likes of Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour
Hoffman) who all bring their A-game. It may be a bit pulpy, but when the execution is
this stylish and engaging, plot contrivances are easy to look past. I can't say I was
completely sold on the ending; there were several points in the preceding 20 minutes
of this film that I thought might have led to a better, more definitive ending, although I
understand that it's based on the first in a series of novels so they kind of had to have
him get away at the end. Still, despite the fact that it's a two-and-a-half-hour movie
that just kind of stops rather than feeling as if it has any real closure, this movie is a
great time and keeps you guessing about what's going to happen right up until those
last moments.

Karo
In a convoluted plot setup, this rich guy sends this dude to europe to befriend his son and convince him to come
home and of course that doesn't fucking work.
The first part of the film is very boring and drags on for what seems an agonizing eternity before Ripley beats his
friend to death with a boat oar and steals his identity and the real movie starts.
As Ripley goes further and further down the rabbit hole and the bodies start piling up, we finally see the salvaging
of the movie, but the excruciating nature of the first hour is never really made up for, and for that reason this is not
something I would ever want to watch again.

Score: 65/100

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Khal Kirby, warlord of the Super Star Khalasar
PSN/Steam: CheddarBBQ https://goo.gl/Diw2hs