THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY review

This review may feel shorter than my normal reviews, simply because I’m attempting to catch up a bit. Ok? Cool.

I’ve been reading various critics and talkbackers and some newsgroupers that seem to bitch about the ending of THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY.

Since the ending of this film is so key as to why I love the movie and why some people are hating the movie... I feel a distinct need to discuss this aspect of the film. Why do I write all this stuff and not just get to it? Because... if you have not seen the film... then perhaps you should simply skip reading my review till after you have seen the film. And seeing the film is absolutely a must for all big film fans.

The movie is immaculate. Filled with great performances, storytelling, cinematography, score, art direction, etc... However, this is a SUSPENSE type of movie, which generally means you shouldn’t know what the last page says. So... Go away... see the movie... and get back to me later.

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Alright, if you are reading this, either you don’t mind spoilers or you have seen the movie... preferably you have seen the movie.

There seems to be this rather strong feeling out there amongst viewers of THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY that the last murder is not needed, nor is it of any great importance that we ever see Ripley and his friend/lover on this boat.

If this is your feeling, then... frankly... you have just completely missed the entire point of the movie.

The character of Tom Ripley is one of the most fascinating homicidal pathological liars in the history of cinema. He’s human. He doesn’t strive to lie, it’s just when poised with a question... often times the story in his head is more effective and tempting than the truth.

Watch Damon in this movie.. his performance is to a ‘T’ perfection. Everytime he lies, he’s not moving the conversation forward... he’s never truly in control, it’s just that circumstances make it easier to simply lie.

He never looks down the long road. Never seeing where his actions or lies may lead him. Rather... he will come to that hill when he meets it.

He didn’t go out on that boat with Dickie to kill him. Tom isn’t a violent man, but he is a man of emotions and whims... And Dickie pushed him to a point where he couldn’t stop himself from... well... killing him.

Same with Freddie. Ripley hoped that his lies would protect not only himself, but Freddie too... When Freddie finds out the truth... well, he is left with (to his mind) only one logical point of action. Kill Freddie.

Alright... so this brings us to the last murder. Seemingly Tom Ripley has completely gotten away with it all. He’s got the money, a boyfriend and is sailing off into the sunset. A happy ending for a despicable man.

But lies are a vicious circle, for all you Jennifer Jason Leigh fans, and once in that circle you often times have past lies coming up and biting you on the ass.

There was a point on the boat where, Ripley felt he had the option of killing the curious gazelle, but then he noticed three other party members up on the deck that knew who he was.... Dickie right?

So, he goes back to his cabin... Tries to convince his boyfriend to simply stay in the cabin with him.... But... well that’s not really a plan.

It is simply easier to kill one than four. Easier to be Dickie on this boat than Ripley.

So, Tom Ripley, kills his lover, puts the memory in that cellar of the past, behind a door he never opens, and with no guilt or remorse, he continues with his day. But along with that guilt and remorse, he must place his own individual happiness behind that door. Because, to have been Tom Ripley at that point in time... well... it would mean the end of Tom Ripley. And we can’t very well have that now can we.

This is reality. How pathological justification works. It’s not malice, it’s convenience. And, for me... this is why I feel that THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY is infinitely more disturbing than a movie like PSYCHO, which deals with someone who is... just CRAZY.

We may, in our day to day lives, run into many Mr Ripleys. Folks that find it easier to lie to you, than to tell the truth. A world where ethical boundaries breakdown from moment to moment.

Very rarely do we see pure malice and evil. And Mr Ripley is simply one of the best liars around. He’s out there... perhaps valeting your car, or taking down your credit card number over the phone line, maybe he’s selling your parents insurance over the phone and getting their social security numbers, checking account numbers and credit card numbers. Scammers and liars exist all around us.

THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY shows us that while they may never be caught. Their unending punishment may very well be the hollowness of their own existence.

And that’s why I love THE TALENTED MR RIPLEY.