Review of The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) by Sebh — 03 Oct 2009

Anyone who says this captures the essence of the novel is seriously wrong. Not only is Damon's Ripley everything that Highsmith said very explicitly that he wasn't (blatantly homosexual, obsessed with Dickie and his lifestyle, showing precious little premeditation to his plans and even showing remorse).

Highsmith's Ripley was one of the best literary characters ever created, as insecure as he is confident and cool, but the bumbling, grinning dork up on the screen didn't remind me of him at all.

Minghella made the very bold move of taking this film in different directions to the book, but it suffers as a result, particularly with the introduction of two new vapid, unconvincing characters (Peter Smith Kingsley and Meredith Logue).

They fail very badly, as do all the other Hollywood-ised bastardisations of the original characters. Ripley was such a great potential film, and, though this is not without its merits, it ultimately fails to capture the spirit Highsmith wrote it in.

I'm all for some degree of originality in an adaptation, but this practically spits in Highsmith's face, all in all designed to be a cold-hearted star vehicle.