The Talented Mr. Ripley

If you like Italy, see this movie.  If you are a person who finds Jude Law
incredibly attractive, see this movie.  If you want to see a suspenseful,
intriguing movie that explores, as the trailer says, how far someone will go to be someone else, don't see this movie.  It doesn't deliver.

Anthony Minghella directs Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting), Jude Law (eXistenZ) and Gwyneth Paltrow (Shakespeare in Love) in this movie about Tom Ripley (Damon), a man who cons his way to Italy with the purpose of bringing back the prodigal son, Dickie Greenleaf (Law) to his father in America.  But as he spends time with Dickie and his girlfriend Marge (Paltrow), he realizes that he wants the life that Dickie has, and will stop at nothing to get it.

Sadly, the only real positive thing to say about this movie is that Matt Damon did a stellar job with the material given him.  The usually-flawless Paltrow falls short, however, because her character lacks a third dimension.  Marge is window dressing and does nothing much for the furthering of this story.  The constant is-he-or-isn't-he questions that hang overhead (concerning Tom's sexuality) throughout the entirety of this movie leave the viewer feeling thoroughly confused and unsettled.  As the movie finishes with the most bizarre ending I've seen in a long time, that confusion still lies about.

There are a few redeeming qualities of this movie.  As I mentioned above, Matt Damon's performance and the beautiful scenery of Italy come to mind.  We are treated, however, to a steal-the-show performance by Phillip Seymour Hoffman (Flawless) that will leave you feeling as though you got at least a little something out of the price of your ticket.  Perhaps all the above reasons are possible explanations as to why this movie didn't fare as well at the Academy Awards as the filmmakers thought it would.

Rating -  * *