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Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett, Philip Seymour Hoffman ... see more see more... , Jack Davenport , James Rebhorn , Sergio Rubini , Philip Baker Hall , Celia Weston , Rosario Fiorello , Stefania Rocca , Ivano Marescotti , Anna Longhi , Alessandro Fabrizi , Lisa Eichhorn , Gretchen Egolf

After the Oscar-winning The English Patient, writer/director Anthony Minghella attempted another tricky literary adaptation with The Talented Mr. Ripley, which features heartthrob Matt Damon cast agai... read more read more...nst type as a psychopathic bisexual murderer. Tom Ripley (Damon) is a bright and charismatic sociopath who makes his way in mid-'50s New York City as a men's room attendant and sometimes pianist, though his real skill is in impersonating other people, forging handwriting, and running second-rate scams. After being mistaken for a Princeton student, Tom meets the shipping tycoon father of Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), who has traveled to the coast of Italy, where he's living a carefree life with his father's money and his beautiful girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Dickie's father will pay Ripley 1,000 dollars plus his expenses if he can persuade Dickie to return to America. As Ripley and Dickie become friends, Tom finds himself both attracted to Dickie and envious of his life of pleasure. In time, he decides that he would rather be Dickie Greenleaf than Tom Ripley, so rather than go back to his life of poverty, Ripley impulsively murders Dickie and assumes his identity. The Talented Mr. Ripley was based on the first of a series of novels featuring Tom Ripley written by Patricia Highsmith; the story was previously filmed in 1960 as Purple Noon, with Alain Delon as Ripley. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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75% liked it

114,067 ratings

Critics

83% liked it

127 critics

R, 2 hr. 19 min.

Directed by: Anthony Minghella

Release Date: December 25, 1999

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DVD Release Date: June 27, 2000

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Stats: 4,661 reviews

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Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley Cate Blanchett in Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley Jack Davenport and Matt Damon The Talented Mr. Ripley Jack Davenport in The Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley Jack Davenport in The Talented Mr. Ripley Jack Davenport and Matt Damon Jack Davenport in The Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley Jude Law in The Talented Mr. Ripley Cate Blanchett in Talented Mr. Ripley Matt Damon in The Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley The Talented Mr. Ripley
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Flixster Reviews (4,661)

  • movieguru12
    November 2, 2011
    movieguru12
    Utter stupidity that I can't believe I actually liked for a while.
  • theunknownhobo
    August 29, 2011
    theunknownhobo
    This movie was just a ten hour long bore fest for me. I did not care for the plot and the acting was wooden, the characters irritating and the entire movie far too long. The twist was good, but come on when you've literally had to wait hours to find it out, there is very little f... read morelavour left. Some movies are meant to be long, but some movies just fail at it. This is one of them.
  • fernandorafael
    March 30, 2011
    fernandorafael
    Darkly beautiful film; everything works so well, from the cinematography, the music (which fits the amazing style perfectly) to the performances. One of the best ensembles in recent history (or ever), where Jude Law, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman stand out. A story ab... read moreout a sick man. A jazz compilation. An Italian travelogue. The Talented Mr. Ripley is all those things and also the kind of film Alfred Hitchcock might've made if he lived right now.
  • Deano78
    May 30, 2010
    Deano78
    A great thriller, very subtle with an impressive cast. Glad I got round to watching this at last. A very good story about a guy who purely by chance has the opportunity to change his life but with big consequences. Proves Matt Damon can do a lot more than just action.
  • harrycaul
    April 11, 2010
    harrycaul
    Aside from mentioning that his ironic final twist is deeply satisfying, I'm not going to get into the merits of Anthony Minghella's screenplay because I'd rather focus on his not inconsiderable talent behind the camera. In an era when cinema audiences are constantly patronised wi... read moreth overemphasis and senseless reiteration, one of the things I like best about this movie is the confidence with which Minghella embraces purely visual storytelling and the use of metaphor. And not just for trivial details either; they are often essential to our understanding and enjoyment of the picture. A good example of this would be the scene in which Tom Ripley, masquerading as Dickie Greenleaf, bumps into Marge and Peter Smith-Kingsley at the opera. Now, this is a suspense scene more immediately concerned with Ripley's imposture perhaps being discovered, but Minghella also manages to convey the mutual sexual attraction between Ripley (Matt Damon) and Smith-Kingsley (Jack Davenport). In this context, Ripley's removal of Dickie's ring prior to introducing himself to Smith-Kinglsey becomes a symbol of his 'availability'. If the first half of the movie is essentially a ménage à trois in which Ripley and Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) compete for Dickie's (Jude Law) affection, the second half represents another triangle in which Ripley attempts to throw off Dickie's ghost to find happiness with Smith-Kingsley. Again, Minghella makes beautiful use of metaphor here with a shot in which Ripley's face is reflected in the closing lid of a piano: the head divides into two like a reproducing cell; Ripley emerges on the other side and assumes his own identity by putting on his glasses. A supremely classy thriller and one of my personal favourites of the last decade or so.
  • LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    March 12, 2010
    LorenzoVonMatterhorn
    "I always thought it would be better, to be a fake somebody... than a real nobody."

    In late 1950's New York, Tom Ripley, a young underachiever, is sent to Europe to retrieve a rich and spoiled millionaire playboy, named Dickie Greenleaf. But when the errand fails, Ripley ... read moretakes extreme measures.

    REVIEW

    Matt Damon is absolutely convincing in the title role, and along with Jude Law's Dickie Greenleaf, provides the viewer with an incredibly fascinating character study. The conflicting emotions of Tom Ripley are played wonderfully by Damon who conveys subtlety with great depth. I was in awe of his performance and am flabbergasted he didn't receive an Oscar nomination for this role. Law, Paltorw, Blanchett and Hoffman do a terrific job playing of Damon's Ripley. Director Anthony Minghella (The English Patient, Cold Mountain) also did a masterful job of capturing the period and his location photography was spectacular. I should also add that the soundtrack to this film was wholly appropriate and added much to the final product.
  • ythelastman89
    January 7, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I think this is definitely Matt Damon's best performance, however, I don't feel the movie itself is flawless. There were a lot of great moments and the acting was great, but it didn't really have that much individuality. Aside from the location shots, I would say that the cinemat... read moreography was empty and there was very little put into the look of the film. The story had to essentially sell you, which I think for many it did.
  • ScoopOnline
    December 13, 2009
    ScoopOnline
    The Talented Mr. Ripley was a guilty Joy.
  • lewiskendell
    December 5, 2009
    lewiskendell
    When a movie makes you root for a person as thoroughly evil and disturbed as Tom Ripley, then it must be doing some things right. No matter how terrible Tom's actions or how much he deserves to have his deceptions uncovered, he remains the protagonist of the movie. I rooted for h... read moreim every step of the way, against my own better judgement.

    The acting talent here is impressive. Jude Law gave a performance that made me really respect him as an actor, he was just fantastic. Matt Damon was even better than his usual solid work. He perfectly gave off the not-quite-right vibe of Tom Ripley. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Gwenyth Paltrow, and Cate Blanchett were also very good. There
    were literally no weak links in this cast.

    The Talented Mr. Ripley was a unique film, and one that I enjoyed even as it made me uncomfortable. Tom Ripley has to be one of the most memorable characters in modern movies, and his story is one that combines excitement, violence, and suspense. It's well worth watching.
  • 76Majikat
    December 4, 2009
    76Majikat
    An enjoyable performance by Matt Damon and an unusual storyline of deceipt, fraud and Murder.

    Envy and arrogance drive the storyline and cause events to spiral out of control.

    Personally I feel more could have been made of the voice impersonations, but all the same was an e... read morenjoyable watch.

View All The Talented Mr. Ripley Reviews

Critic Reviews

Jonathan Rosenbaum
March 18, 2008
Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago Reader

Familiarity is the watchword of this overblown opus, which neglects holes in the plot to play up its postmodern theme of identity as pastiche -- a clear case of the pot calling the kettle black. Full Review

Andrew Sarris
April 27, 2007
Andrew Sarris, New York Observer

On balance, The Talented Mr. Ripley is worth seeing more for its undeniably delightful journey than its final destination. Full Review

Peter Rainer
August 7, 2004
Peter Rainer, New York Magazine

It's a gorgeously unsettling film. You can hide in the shadows, but luminescence exposes who you are, and the only escape is into another identity. Full Review

Rick Groen
April 25, 2003
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail

Even before its release, The Talented Mr. Ripley has attracted some mighty serious analytic attention. Full Review

Bob Graham
June 18, 2002
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle

If anybody can create sympathy for the devil, the angelic Matt Damon can. Full Review

Janet Maslin
January 1, 2000
Janet Maslin, New York Times

The Talented Mr. Ripley offers diabolically smart surprises wherever you care to look. Full Review

Amy Taubin
January 1, 2000
Amy Taubin, Village Voice

It's a sign of how watered-down the movie is that only the supporting actors have any bite. Full Review

Peter Howell
January 1, 2000
Peter Howell, Toronto Star

And there are good reasons to see the new film, both for the scenery and the generally fine acting.

Kenneth Turan
January 1, 2000
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

Lacking in emotional impact. Full Review

Jeff Millar
January 1, 2000
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle

Perhaps at 90 or so minutes, it would have been the Hitchcockian thriller that it isn't at the beginning but turns into. At two hours and 20 minutes, there's too much of the film that feels like reite... Full Review

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Facts

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    • Tom Ripley: Well, whatever you do, however terrible, however hurtful, it all makes sense, doesn't it, in your head. You never meet anybody that thinks they're a bad person.
    • Marge Sherwood: Why is it when men play together, they always try to kill each other?
    • Dickie Greenleaf: [jokingly] He's drowning me!
    • Peter Smith-Kingsley: That Dickie murdered you and took your name with a false passport? That's ridiculous.
    • Herbert Greenleaf: People say you can't choose your parents, but I believe you can't choose your children.
    • Tom Ripley: It's better to be a fake somebody, than a real nobody!
    • Meredith Logue: We should always save pain for daylight.
Submit a Fact | View All

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The Talented Mr. Ripley Trivia

  • Jude Law, Gwennyth Paltrow, Matt Damon, Greece...name the movie  Answer »
  • Who played Tom Ripley in "The Talented Mr. Ripley?"  Answer »
  • This movie starred, Matt Damon, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jack Davenport and Jude Law, name the film.  Answer »
  • This movie's theme and subject matter concentrates on this quote: "Is it better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody?"  Answer »
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