A bright and charismatic sociopath making his way in mid-1950s NYC through menial work and petty scams, Tom Ripley is hired through a case of mistaken identity by a shipping magnate to bring back his loafing son, Dickie (Jude Law), from a too-long extended Italian vacation with his girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow). Tom soon finds that he’d rather be Dickie than bring him home and makes an impulsive decision with no return.
Writer/director Anthony Minghella’s follow-up to his Oscar-winning The English Patient, The Talented Mr. Ripley is a masterful adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s acclaimed novel of the same name, which had previously been made as the French classic Purple Noon starring Alain Delon. For a comparison between the two films, check out Little White Lies’s video essay here, or if you’ve been enjoying Netflix’s new miniseries Ripley with Andrew Scott as the titular character, this video breaks down some of the key differences between the show and the ’90s flick. For an important ranking of the Speedo used in the three adaptations, head over to W Magazine. Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Minghella film was also recently revisited by Vanity Fair, who argue for its place as one of the great films of the landmark cinematic year of 1999. See The Talented Mr. Ripley for yourself this Thursday at IU Cinema!
“Based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel, Anthony Minghella’s adaptation is as haunting as it is entertaining. While watching this mysterious work, you may feel as if you are encountering the ghosts of Hitchcock and Dostoevsky—and justifiably so.” — Dan DiNicola, The Daily Gazette
The Talented Mr. Ripley will be playing at IU Cinema on May 16 at 7pm as part of the I Love the ’90s series.