In 1999 we were transported back to 1959 to meet a very interesting, determined, and deranged young man named Tom Ripley…
Matt Damon is Ripley—the protagonist and antagonist of both the Patricia Highsmith 1956 novel and this, the film adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley. And from the moment Damon appears on screen, there’s a just a hint of oddness in his demeanor that slowly burns into full blown madness and duplicity by the end of the film.
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a movie loved by critics and fans, and much of that affection can be credited to a great cast—which includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and Jude Law—and to a great script. The story revolves around Ripley’s obsessive fascination with the inner and outer lives of the wealthy. But more importantly, it focuses-in on Ripley’s palpable Interest in Law’s character: Dickie Greenleaf.
As we watch everything unfold, Ripley goes from acquiring Dickie’s taste in music, to wearing Dickie’s clothes, to watching Dickie have sex, to burying Dickie at sea… Soon, Ripley decides to become Dickie. After all, the only thing better than being with the one you love—is being the one you love. Right?