Rent The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Fantastico - The Talented Mr. Ripley review by JD

Matt Damon is unbelievably good. His character is about as horrible as it is possible to be; but he manages to keep you interested in his perspective and think about his motives. This film will haunt your dreams/nightmares but there is a strong and important moral lesson. The only criticism that occurred to me is that all the other characters are extremely privileged, but it is based on American young adults living in Naples and Rome. The plot would have had to be quite different to accommodate less wealthy characters.

Five Attempts to Be Dickie Greenleaf - The Talented Mr. Ripley review by griggs

After several false starts (none of them the film’s fault), I finally made it to the end of The Talented Mr Ripley—and I’m glad I did. Ripley deserves to be celebrated for its sumptuous atmosphere, moral ambiguity, and strong ensemble cast, even if the pacing occasionally drifts. It’s a sleek, unsettling film: all sun-kissed luxury concealing something far colder beneath. Damon’s blank intensity, Law’s golden-boy magnetism, and Paltrow’s slow-burn dread all hit the mark. Philip Seymour Hoffman steals scenes with greasy bravado, while Jack Davenport makes a sharp impression with little screen time.

At its core, this isn’t really about sexuality—it’s about obsession, envy, and the desperate construction of identity. Tom doesn’t just want Dickie’s life—he wants to be Dickie. The film captures that psychological slippage with unnerving elegance. The queerness is there, coded and side-eyed, but it feels like a by-product of warped yearning rather than a declaration. A richly textured, thought-provoking thriller that rewards repeat viewings… even if it took me five tries and a strong coffee to finally see it through.

Matt Damon's outstanding performance at the heart of this psychological thriller - The Talented Mr. Ripley review by Philip in Paradiso

In 1958, in New York City, Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn), a shipbuilding magnate, meets Tom Ripley (Matt Daymon). Ripley is young, bespectacled and clumsy. He is clearly very intelligent and capable but comes from a modest background. He tells Herbert Greenleaf that he attended the university of Princeton, where he met his son, Dickie (Jude Law). Dickie is away in Europe, an idle socialite living off his father's monthly allowance. Dickie is spending time in Italy, partying and indulging in his passion for jazz. He lives with his fiancée, Marge Sherwood (Gwyneth Paltrow). Simultaneously, he is having multiple affairs with other women, including a local Italian woman. Herbert Greenleaf would like his son to return to America to learn more about the family business. He decides to pay Tom Ripley $1,000 to travel to Italy and persuade his son to return to the USA. The story develops from that point onwards.

This is an excellent adaptation by Anthony Minghella of the 1955 novel by Patricia Highsmith. Primarily a psychological thriller, the movie benefits from the very good dialogues, the beautifully executed shooting of the film itself and the flawless acting of all the key characters. (Incidentally, it confirms the fact that G Paltrow was a good actress: it is a pity she chose to move away from acting when she did, in my view.) Matt Damon gives an outstanding performance that is at the very heart of the story: he is entirely believable in the part. Some of the scenes - I will not say any more not to spoil the film for the reader of this review - will stay with you, as they are so full of tension, suspense and drama. I would certainly recommend the movie.