Review of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) by Whitney W — 03 Feb 2014
Like other initially-acclaimed thrillers from the late 90s, The Talented Mr. Ripley hasn't faired to well against the test of time. For one, it's too long, and secondly Anthony Minghella's directing style isn't on point.
His elegant style sometimes clashes with the material, and his penchant for using cliched dramatic tricks (i.e. intense music leading up to scenes of violence) comes off as gimmicky. Also, while there was plenty of talk about how Matt Damon was cast against type in this film, I feel it undermined the fact that he isn't particularly good in it.
The film's saving grace, however, is in it's period decor, interesting storyline, and some strong performances from the supporting cast (R.I.P. Philip Seymour Hoffman).
This review of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) was written by Whitney W on 03 Feb 2014.
The Talented Mr. Ripley has generally received very positive reviews.
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