After watching the 1999 film adaptation, I believe words cannot describe Tom Ripley. However, American author Patricia Highsmith uses the word ‘talented’ in her novel to label who I’d call a merciless murderer. “The Talented Mr Ripley” is an intelligent thriller. It takes identity theft and obsession to another level, starring Matt Damon who gives a creepy yet applaudable portrayal as an evil imposter.
The psychological thriller also stars Jude Law as Dickie Greenleaf. He is the famous, carefree victim in the film who couldn’t escape Tom’s ruthlessness. He appears along with Gwyneth Paltrow as Dickie’s girlfriend, Marge, and Cate Blanchett as Meredith Logue.
In 1958, Ripley works as a pianist at a fancy party wearing a borrowed Princeton jacket. He’s mistaken by Herbert Greenleaf (James Rebhorn) as a former classmate of his son Dickie Greenleaf. Herbert offers Tom a $1,000 to convince Dickie, who has settled in Italy, to return to the United States—to which he agrees. In a seaside village of Mongibello, Tom befriends Dickie and Marge by pretending to be his former classmate to whom they take a liking to. Slowly, Tom starts becoming obsessed with Dickie’s lavish and extravagant lifestyle. It spirals out of control to the extent where Ripley (*spoilers*) murders Dickie after being rejected by him and takes over his entire identity.
An Identity Theft Thriller and So Much More
After forging a pile of letters, creating illusions and fabricating information, Tom Ripley steals more than just Dickie’s name, but his entire existence including his finances and lifestyle. He becomes an unstoppable fraud who will go to any length to secure his life as the false Dickie Greenleaf, even if that means removing the real one from the picture.
The film illuminates how your only escape from your identity is taking over someone else’s. It also shows the destruction of someone’s morals over a lavish lifestyle working-class members like Tom can only dream of. It also shows how much a charming individual can work on their surface to avoid being exposed of their deep-rooted deceptions.
Matt Damon gives an impeccable portrayal as this lower-class fraudster who leans towards murder for all-you-can-eat salad bars and jazz concerts. Ripley buys into the façade so beautifully, he will end lives just to have it. The way he realistically embodies Tom Ripley—and his endless cycle of killings—is presented in such a terrifying manner, that I even questioned my crush on Matt Damon for a little while. He superbly destroyed my trust in charming, rich people who may or may not be for real. The scene in which he convinces himself he loves Marge with a discreet weapon so she won’t expose him of his lies left me shivering. I don’t usually watch psychological thrillers, but I think if I were to watch the film again, it won’t be alone, that’s for sure.
“The Talented Mr. Ripley” is currently available to watch or rent on most streaming services.
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