Mix a wildly charismatic Jude Law with lovely bits of southern Italy, sprinkle with the mysterious behaviour of Matt Damon, then dilute with two parts Gwyneth Paltrow. The gay undercurrent is a familiar thing from Patricia Highsmith. If Ripley hadn't been so completely rejected he may not have murdered.
The Talented Mr Murderer. That's what this film should have been called.
I like that Philip Seymour Hoffman is on to him from the off, sneers at him, thinks he's worthless. So he must be murdered. Half the time you're thinking 'Ripley! Just lie low!' I mean the bit where he strategically places the Cate Blanchett and Paltrow characters together in the Piazza Spagna you think 'Why complicate your own life more?'
(Yes. Rome is another reason to keep watching.)
But it just goes on too long. Where I think it should have ended is Ripley and Mr Greenleaf and the detective and Ripley getting away with everything - that would have been a great ending... only it's still been going too long by this point. In fact I'm starting to feel like I'm trapped in the film. And that am I Dickie Greenleaf? Instead we have to have this coda where Ripley's with the Jack Davenport character and there's obviously romance in the air but Blanchett turns up again and he feels he has to kill him... I mean where does the body go? Through the porthole? It's an annoying ending after two and a half hours.
So yeah - it's two thirds a great film.
Same collaborative team as The English Patient - Murch, Yared, Seale.
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