The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Director:

Anthony Minghella

Writers (WGA):

Patricia Highsmith (novel)
Anthony Minghella (screenplay)

Release Date:

25 December 1999 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Romance | Thriller

Tagline:

How far would you go to become someone else.

Plot:

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 kills the playboy and begins to assume his life.

Plot Keywords:

Italy | 1950s | Playboy | Love | Piano

Awards:

Nominated for 5 Oscars. Another 8 wins & 52 nominations

Cast

Matt Damon	...	Tom Ripley
Gwyneth Paltrow	...	Marge Sherwood
Jude Law	...	Dickie Greenleaf
Cate Blanchett	...	Meredith Logue
Philip Seymour Hoffman	...	Freddie Miles
Jack Davenport	...	Peter Smith-Kingsley
James Rebhorn	...	Herbert Greenleaf
Sergio Rubini	...	Inspector Roverini
Philip Baker Hall	...	Alvin MacCarron
Celia Weston	...	Aunt Joan
Fiorello	...	Fausto (as Rosario Fiorello)
Stefania Rocca	...	Silvana
Ivano Marescotti	...	Colonnello Verrecchia
Anna Longhi	...	Signora Buffi
Alessandro Fabrizi	...	Sergeant Baggio

Also Known As:

The Mysterious Yearning Secretive Sad Lonely Troubled Confused Loving Musical Gifted Intelligent Beautiful Tender Sensitive Haunted Passionate Talented Mr. Ripley (USA) (complete title)
The Strange Mr. Ripley (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for violence, language and brief nudity.

Runtime:

139 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:M (video rating) | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:14A (Alberta) | Canada:AA (Ontario) | Canada:PA (Manitoba) | Canada:PG (British Columbia) | Canada:14+ (Ontario - 2006) | Iceland:14 (original rating) | Iceland:16 (video rating) | Singapore:NC-16 (re-rating) | Singapore:PG (cut) | Philippines:PG-13 | Brazil:14 | Argentina:16 | Australia:MA | Chile:18 | Czech Republic:15 | Denmark:15 | Finland:K-14 | France:U | Germany:12 | Hong Kong:IIB | Netherlands:16 | New Zealand:M | Norway:15 | Peru:18 | Portugal:M/12 | South Korea:18 | Sweden:15 | Switzerland:16 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:16 (canton of Vaud) | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Anzio, Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company:

Miramax International

Trivia:

The opera shown on the film is the end of Act II from Tchaikovsky's "Yevgeny Onyegin." In this particular scene, Lenski challenged his friend Onyegin for a duel over Olga, who had been engaged to Lenski at that time. Lenski was mortally wounded, and Onyegin departed Russia for a self-imposed exile.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: When Marge arrives in Venice at the Santa Lucia railways station you can spot in the background on the other side of the canal one of the very few modern buildings of Venice. It is obvious that this building was built much later than 1958 when the story is supposed to take place.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Tom Ripley: If I could just go back... if I could rub everything out... starting with myself.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Music by Gabriel Yared (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

FOUR

Matt Damon made a good choice in making this film!

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. It can definitely be considered an "intelligent" thriller. And I think that Matt Damon made a good choice choosing this role. He gets to explore the darker side of a character, a change for him, and he does so very well! On the outside he appears so wholesome and harmless but if you watch his eyes, they can give you a chill. And I must say that Jude Law, an actor I had not seen much of before I saw this film, also gave a great performance. He has great charm and you can almost understand why "Mr. Ripley" would go to such great lengths to possess his life. Damon did a good job of conveying how desperate he was to be someone with a life worth coveting. Don't be put off by how long it is, it is worth the watch.