Le Talentueux Mr. Ripley

La mosaïque de psychologie d'une précision raffinée et d'une forme si décente de réalisation cinématographique est poussée à tel point qu'elle empêche une appréciation complète par un public plus large. Une œuvre d'art magistrale qui doit être vue "avec un troisième œil". (09/07/2004)

"I always thought it would be better to be a fake somebody than a real nobody." You don’t even need to be fully in the sun, and Anthony Minghella's story of pathological ambition and lies that push you beyond the point of no return begins to slowly burn the viewer. With Matt Damon's sly grin, the homoerotic tension, the clear path of amorality, and John Seale's camera work that perfectly captures the chosen locations. If I didn’t know that Cate Blanchett is a brilliant actress, I’d think she stole those enchanting expressions of shy charm from Claire Forlani in Meet Joe Black. (10/10/2022)

An utterly brilliant retro psycho-thriller. Matt Damon literally excels in the role of Tom Ripley, every look and gesture of his brings a chill. The script relies a little too much on coincidences perhaps (Italy and Rome aren’t that small for the protagonists to constantly run into each other), but the elegance with which Ripley gets out from all sorts of critical situations will be admirable to anyone who has ever started a chain reaction of lies (though obviously not as serious as in this film) – here where the script is superb. Another proof of how extraordinary this film is the fact that, even though I had nobody to root for, I watched all those 140 minutes without blinking. (29/07/2010)

It's hard to compare it with the Netflix series. Anthony Minghella took a different approach, focusing on a sunlit Italy, bursting with every color of the visible spectrum and optimism at every turn (the black-and-white format of Zaillian's version, which at times almost induces horror, is a prime example of the contrast). But both versions have their merits... Here, I personally liked Jude Law more in the role of Dickie. And also Philip Seymour Hoffman as the bohemian Freddie. And Matt Damon? He played the almost sociopathic character perfectly. An excellent performance. I have just one critique, which isn't entirely the film's fault, and I understand that... but I must point it out... The runtime is over 2 hours, but at times it felt quite rushed. If the series didn't exist (and I didn't have that comparison), I would never have mentioned this... Minghella's take on Ripley deserves a solid 8/10. (26/04/2024)

An incredibly refined spectacle in both form and content. Minghella makes the most out of a great premise, perfectly developing the character of the unstable hero and his approach puts so much power in Damon's hands that he is able, with a single look and a single action, to put the viewer firmly in the seat and force them to watch his literally despicable actions until the end without blinking. The excellent retro atmosphere and the backdrop of sunny Italy decorate the already superb production design, whose gradual fluidity and more than chilling build-up is, in my opinion, an example of brilliant filmmaking. Everything is crowned by the actors, who, even in the supporting roles, are completely unmissable and unique. Matt Damon is excellent in every move and gesture, though he may still be outdone in the first half by the phenomenal Jude Law. The ending may be too drawn out, but the final twist hits with such force and elegance that there is nothing to object to. With a day's hindsight, I add a fifth star, which is the only one that sufficiently describes the maturity of the film within FilmBooster. (04/03/2013)