cableaddict

22 May 2013

A masterpiece of subtlety.

Oh my!Caught this by accident on cable last night, and was completely riveted fromstart to finish.There is just enough action for those who require such things (no car chasesor things blowing up, however) but the real intensity in this movie comesfrom the subtle, psychological interplay between the main characters. John Malkovich basically plays the same character he does so well invirtually every film he's in, but it's particularly well suitedhere.If you enjoy intellectual thrillers (is that a genre?) then by all meanscheck this flick out. It's as good as it gets.

jtindahouse

22 May 2013

Not what youd call enthralling, but interesting all the same!!!

After about the first 5 minutes of this film I thought I'd already hadenough. I thought it was setting itself up for a tedious, long,forgettable performance. Thankfully I was wrong. The more it went onthe better it got. Having seen The Talented Mr Ripley along time ago Ihad trouble recalling the trademarks Mr Ripley contains. The only one Icould recall was he was a good signature forger. This detail did notcome up in this film so in a way I was introduced to the same characterall over again and from a completely different perspective. Obviouslyhe is now older, but he is apparently also less troubled by theeveryday problems that a man in his position might possess. This makeshim much easier to watch. Whilst it may be necessary to look at theseaspects of main characters usually it can also be tedious and boring.Obviously Malkovich is fantastic to say the least and is a pleasure tospend an hour and a half or so with.An older audience will fancy it more as there isn't a huge deal of overthe top action in it. But those who are old enough to appreciate it,without a doubt will.

21 May 2013

A movie that did not need to be made.

This movie was a complete waste of time. I dislike Malkovich more thatI did before seeing it-his acting is flat as usual, and if you want tosay that his character demanded this, then I'll say that he istype-cast and one-dimensional, because he always is like this. Thesupporting actor is absolutely horrible; his acting is amateurish andmelodramatic. The story line is absurd and misleading, and there aremore shootings than you can count, all of them senseless andmeaningless. Oh yeah, it's about a corrupt guy and mob bosses etc.,hence the murders, but the whole thing leaves one with this feeling of,so what? The only virtue in the film is it does not follow any formula,but that is also one of its downfalls. Revenge, greed, murder,hypocrisy...all of these have been dealt with in much more creative andinsightful ways. And lastly the score is horrendous-we are supposed tobelieve that a harpsichord sounds like a synthesizer, and that Ripley'swoman is actually a great keyboard player. My suggestion is to saveyour money-watch something you enjoyed the first time around before youwaste time and money on this piece of trash.

Jeffrey M. Anderson

20 May 2013

Now we have the real Ripley: John Malkovich.

macker1616

05 May 2013

Why someone else?

To be honest I wouldn't watch this film as i much prefer the first 'TheTalented Mr. Ripley' with Matt Damon his is an amazing actor. Not thati have anything against John, but it would have be good to see him seenas he done the first one. I was disgusted to see that he didn't do thesecond one.Matt must have decided not to do the second one as he knows aboutsequels, that they normally don't turn out to good.But i am glad he is doing 'The Bourne' sequels as he is a class actorand he knows there will be no fault or depression with these sequels.Thats all thanks for reading. please respond.If people do not like Matt tell me why. I really like him as an actor,he can also produce as we seen in 'Good Will Hunting'.

Claudio Carvalho

04 May 2013

I Expected Much More From This Story

In Italy, the middle age Tom Ripley (John Malkovich) is retired andlives in a huge village of his own with his gorgeous wife Luisa, whoplays clavier and piano in an orchestra. When his former associateReeves (Ray Winstone) seeks for him to use an outsider to kill aRussian and an Ukrainian mafia bosses in Berlin to start a war betweenthe gangs, Ripley convinces him to use the innocent framer JonathanTrevanny (Dougray Scott), who has leukemia and is terminal, as ahit-man. The argument is US$ 100,000.00, which Jonathan could leave forhis wife Sarah (Lena Headley) and their son. Indeed, the amoral Ripleywants revenge against Jonathan, who insulted him in a party, corruptingan honest man as if it was a game. Tom Ripley is a fascinatingcharacter from the book "The Talented Mr Ripley" and magnificentlydeveloped in 1960 by Alain Delon in the outstanding "Plein Soleil". In1999, Matt Damon gave a great performance in the good remake, called"The Talented Mr. Ripley". Yesterday I saw "Ripley's Game" with a greatexpectation: Liliana Cavani is one of my favorite directors, and JohnMalkovitch is one of the best actors in Hollywood. Lena Headley, from"Anazapta", is also an excellent actress. Therefore, my expectations ofwatching an excellent film were too high, and in the end I was verydisappointed. "Ripley's Game" has great locations in Europe; JohnMalkovitch is perfect in the role of a cynical, amoral andsophisticated cold-blood killer, but the story is not good, there aremany flaws and at least for me it did not work well. My vote is five.Title (Brazil): " O Retorno do Talentoso Ripley" (The Return of theTalented Ripley")

unlisted-4

22 April 2013

Ripleys Game Pure High Style Excellence

The 1999 Ripley was horrid. Matt Damon as Ripley? Let's not go off intothe bizarre (especially after Delon playing the original role.) Whatwere they thinking?. Jude Law as Greenleaf who should have playedRipley was excellent partly because of his extraordinary looks, but theother two weren't right, their looks all wrong. The acting in '99 againoutside of Law's Greenleaf was questionable, it lacked the pure styleand elegance of the late 1950's original Plein Soleil. There is nocomparison, only someone unsophisticated would think that '99 filmgreat or even good. It was almost comical. The tone of "Ripley's Game"fits the original in overall quality compared with Plein Soleil and thegreat looking, talented French actor Alain Delon which is pure genius.High style from beginning to end. This film "Ripley's Game" is in thevein. I was taken back to think of Malkovich as Ripley but consider itis an older Ripley and he does a masterful bit of work. He pulls it offwith pure style and brilliance. This film is a fabulous high styleupdate played by this cast to the hilt by Malkovich and cast. Unlikeothers I watched it closely. The settings in Italy are spectacular. Thehouses amazing. The set design stunning. All I can say is get this filmafter seeing the Alain Delon version Plein Soleil and don't waste timeon other versions. "Ripley's Game" is without question one of 2002'sgreatest works.

Ian Waldron-Mantgani

22 April 2013

Cavani uses a seedy, spying camera and beautiful European locations to draw us into the action and dress it up as art. She's a sick puppy, but she's good at what she does.

restatolon

11 April 2013

Good begining, poor ending, but makes worth

I saw this movie two days ago and i think makes worth. Starts with a scenethat defines the personality of Ripley that is the best of the film sofar.John Malkovich plays the role very well. The character has a very ownmoraland way of looking the world. It mixes the exquisite with a behavior thathas no problem in doing things straight way. So killing is not a specialthing and is done in total calmness. Ripley has choosen a way of livingandeverything is allowed to achieve it.The script has some good points but lacks in many aspects. Some charactersare ridiculous and worse characterizated.It has some points of contact with Hannibal in the way that both show theevil side in an exquisite environment.

Boyd van Hoeij

11 April 2013

See this film for its story and for Malkovich' performance, or if you are easily distracted and irritated, buy the book and imagine everything yourself instead.

26 March 2013

Moral Ambiguity Mixed With Garroting...A Fine Combination

"Who are you?" asks Jonathan Trevanny (Dougray Scott), who inadvertently insulted Tom Ripley several days ago, and now finds himself in a German train's lavatory with Ripley, two criminals Ripley has garroted and one Trevanny has shot."I'm a creation," Ripley (John Malkovich) says. "I'm a gifted improvisor. I lack your conscience. When I was young that troubled me. It no longer does. I don't worry about being caught because I don't believe anyone is watching. The world is not a poorer place because those people are dead. It's one less car in the road. It's a little less noise and menace."Trevanny, an honest man, a British framer working in a small Italian town, has a wife and child he loves dearly. He also is dying of leukemia. He had invited his neighbor, Ripley, to a birthday party for his young son along with other neighbors and friends. Ripley had made a fortune three years earlier in a forgery scam that included Ripley's bashing to death a fellow who tried to intervene. Now Ripley lives in a large villa he has restored to tasteful grandeur. He shares his life with his young mistress, a talented pianist. He employs the best cook in the region. He prides himself on his taste. At the party he overhears Trevanny say to other neighbors that the trouble with Ripley is too much money and not enough taste. Ripley, an upwardly mobile sociopath, naturally enough resents this and decides to have a bit of fun.For Trevanny, desperate for money for his family when he dies, Ripley develops a scheme to turn him into an assassin...a person much like Ripley. Things go wrong when one of the victims in the lavatory survives. He and his associates go after Ripley and Trevanny, finally reaching them at Ripley's villa and then at Trevanny's home. The conclusion is violent, decisive and unsettling.This is a cool, almost dispassionate film. Ripley has his own code and it doesn't involve deep involvement with others. He can be moved to a degree by things that might be imagined as affection or even a kind of friendship, but woe to anyone who would stake his life on Ripley. Ripley is basically an observer who is moved to action only when it suits him. It has suited him to begin a game of corruption involving Trevanny. And Trevanny, for all his honesty and good intentions, is soon corrupted. He doesn't lose our sympathy; after all, he is in a terrible position, poor, with a family and dying. The two people he kills are thorough criminals...but he still killed them, despite his qualms and conscience.Malkovich and Scott do fine jobs. So does Ray Winstone as a crude and unscrupulous former associate of Ripley who provides the trigger for Ripley's scheme. I liked this movie a lot. It's moral tone is shaky, at best. Good doesn't triumph. Bad doesn't win. There's enough ambiguity to be satisfying.The DVD picture looks just fine. There are no extras to speak of.

kai ringler

25 March 2013

dicaprio vs. malcovich

it seems like this movie starts out slowly, and picks up steam as itnears the end. john malcovich was very in character, and very eerie attimes. i did not think that this one was as near as good as theoriginal. this one follows ripley who enlists the help of a common manto commit several murders. that's a new one for me. i did like thetrain sequences, where ripley, and the man have to kill several men ina bathroom. the story i thought was very good, but then again theacting could have been a little better. i think the downfall here inthis movie is that john malcovich didn't really have a good supportingcast with him on this one. so overall i think this movie is onlyaverage.

19 March 2013

The thing is, I dont believe anyone is ever watching.

The always-superior Malkovich, as Tom Ripley, is the central piece in this mob-hit run amok, the sophisticated killer as blasé about his crimes as he is appreciative of the finer things of life, the elegant details of his Italian villa, his gifted harpsichordist/lover, his excellent taste in artifacts. In contrast, a gangster from Ripley's past, played perfectly by Ray Winston, a crude, deliberative criminal, orders executions to facilitate taking over key aspects of the Russian mob's trade. Miffed after an insult by a guest who is dying of leukemia, Jonathan Trevanny (Dougray Scott), Ripley submits John's name to the gangster as a potential assassin for the Russian hits, since the ill man is desperate for money. But Ripley's former Berlin crony (Winston) gets greedy, expecting the dying Trevanny to perform ever more outrageous acts, threatening his family if he fails to cooperate. Chastened, or out of some obscure gentleman's instinct, Ripley steps in to assist Jonathan and the best laid plans quickly spiral out of control when one of the Russians survives the garrote and the gunshot, coming to Italy in pursuit of his attackers; he hasn't come alone.With his usual suave demeanor and penchant for downplaying the dramatic, Malkovich, as Ripley, takes it all in stride, preparing for the inevitable bloodshed. Violent confrontations ensue, bodies strewn across the Tuscan landscape, the usual fallout of mob conflict, desperate men and professional killers. The twists and turns of a well-plotted script enhance the believability of this film, but it is Malkovich's play all the way, as riveting as ever in his skillful rendering of a complex character who savors each moment of existence. While Dougray Scott can't compete with the master, he gives his role a good shot, the inimitable Ray Winston uncouthly memorable as is his wont. This unusual group makes a fine romp of what could have been a foolish film, each actor bringing his own subtle touches to bear. Luan Gaines/ 2006.

David Rooney

18 March 2013

Malkovich's elegantly malicious performance gives Ripley's Game a magnetic center.

mackjay

10 March 2013

Dougray Scott at the Center of a Fine Neo-Noir

The 2002 version of RIPLEY'S GAME compares favorably to Wim Wenders's filmfrom 1977, THE AMERICAN FRIEND. Director Cavani is adept at staging scenesso that they are always interesting and compelling. The film has a suresense of forward thrust, which is indispensible for this type of material.And Cavani conjures up some superior acting from all the principals in thecast. It is easy to be impressed with John Malkovich's quiet malevolence asRipley. The mannered actor rivets his character from the opening, amarvelously paced sequence leading to a swift climax that hooks the viewerfor the rest of the film. Ray Winstone and Lena Headey are more thanadequate in their support as well. If Ripley is the brain of the story, itis Jonathan, Ripley's tormented victim, who must be the heart of it. Andthis is why RIPLEY'S GAME is so fascinating and involving. We are drawn tothe machinations and danger, but also moved by Jonathan's tragicimplication. As good as the superb Bruno Ganz is with Wenders, Dougray Scottin the present film may even be slightly better. This is the kind of rolethat demands everything from an actor, and Scott delivers it all withcomplete conviction. It's an example of perfect casting, and Scott deservesto be applauded for it.Beautifully shot by Alfio Contini, and scored with genius by EnnioMorricone, RIPLEY'S GAME does not quite approach the stylistic brilliance ofWenders's mournful cityscapes in THE AMERICAN FRIEND. But Malkovich'sperformance is at least the equal of Dennis Hopper's and Dougray Scott givesBruno Ganz more than worthy competition. Highly recommended.

Tob147258

10 March 2013

powerful thriller led by some truly wonderful performances

SPOILERS Tom Ripley, Patricia Highsmith's famous thief, is a piece ofpure evil. Over the years, many adaptations of Highsmith's novels havebeen made, but perhaps the most famous is 1999's "The Talented MrRipley". A beautiful film starring MAtt Damon, it was a huge successand it was of little surprise that Hollywood would continue the trend.In 2002, "Ripley's Game" told the story of the older Ripley, this timeplayed by John Malkovich. Shot in a beautiful Italian village and withan amazing cast, it is a slow starting film which takes off at atremendous pace with the introduction of scene stealer Dougray Scott.Wealthy and living in Italy, Tom Ripley (Malkovich) is happily settledwith musician Luisa (Chiara Caselli). When he encounters an old workassociate called Reeves (Ray Winstone) with a problem, he agrees tohelp. Convincing leukaemia sufferer Jonathan Trevanny (Scott) to becomean assassin for them, life is never as simple as we all should hope.There's little point denying that for the first twenty or so minutes,"Ripley's Game" starts slowly. Just like "The Talented Mr Ripley" ithas to set the scene. Once the story takes off though, there is no wayof stopping it. Constantly powerful, forever intense, writer directorLiliana Cavani's adaptation is superb.The finest thing about "Ripley's Game" though is not the script butsome of the performances. The script is sublime and much of the film isbeautifully shot, but ultimately the key contribution is the acting.Led by the perfect Malkovich and the equally stunning Scott, it'sdifficult to think of a finer overall combination of actors in recentyears. Even Ray Winstone, in what is arguably a weak role, manages topull the rabbit out of the hat and turn in a superbly weak performanceas Reeves. In fact, it's practically impossible to pick out a badperformance, the general standard is so high.Italy is also a naturally beautiful place and the film is not afraid toshow this. Showing a rural area, the film is extravagant in colour,even during the cold snap of winter. It is a beautiful film, and asuitable location for the film.All in all, "Ripley's Game" is a magnificent film. Well shot,powerfully acted, beautifully written and generally great, you findyourself absorbed by the enigmatic nature of the film. Well worth awatch whenever you can.

ixthvs

07 March 2013

Comparisons are Odious but Sometimes Necessary. Slight Spoiler.

Having just seen Liliana Cavani's "Ripley's Game" on DVD, I feel a bitlike a duplicitous lover trying to hide the lipstick stains on mycollar. The experience was probably doomed to be disappointing, giventhat Wim Wender's 1977 film "The American Friend", based on the samePatricia Highsmith novel and starring Dennis Hopper as Tom Ripley, isone of my all-time favorite films. Nevertheless, I somehow feltopen-minded enough to accommodate variant approaches to marvelouslyfertile source material, and I expected John Malkovich's Ripley wouldgo far toward eradicating the memory of Matt Damon's insipidinterpretation of the same character in 1997's "The Talented Mr.Ripley."Although this is arguably a respectable contemporary thriller, it palesin every department to Wenders' eccentric masterpiece. Presented with arather straight-forward story-line, it lacks the across-the-boardtautness and rich ambiguity that make 'American Friend' so compelling.While Malkovich's sophisticated, dead-pan jocularity may feel closer toHighsmith's literary Ripley, it ultimately proves far less fascinatingthan Hopper's edgy grin and saw-toothed neuroses. Dougray Scott neverbegins to approach the subtlety of Bruno Ganz's grudging attraction toRipley in the earlier film. 'Ripley's Game' is attractively composedand photographed but simply doesn't satisfy like "Friend's" hot primarypalette and ominous framing.*****Slight Spoilers Beyond this Point*****There's a less-effective sense of place in the new film's Italiansetting, nothing as visually emphatic as the waterfront and under-rivertunnel of 'Friend's" Munich. Also, some details seem inconsistent.Cavani situates Jonathan and his family in an affluence unlikely for afinancially-strapped picture framer, no matter how wealthy his friendsand associates might be. Jonathan's first "test" murder occurs in apublic aquarium, and I hoped (fervently, but in vain) for the bullet tosmash the fish-tank glass and create a deluge to rival the frantic rushthrough the Paris metro, the locale Wenders chose for this scene. Thetrain episode is very reminiscent of that filmed twenty odd years ago,but in terms of tension and surprise, it never leaves the station. In"Ripley's Game", Tom selects Jonathan as his "protege" afteroverhearing him bluntly disparage Ripley in public as tastelesslynouveau-rich. The anti-hero of "The American Friend" makes the decisionbased solely on Jonathan's withering tone when saying, "I've heardabout you" as they are introduced. Forgive my own snobbishness when Isuggest that the subtler, more rarefied slight establishes Tom'srevenge as far more demented and chilling.Wenders personalized Highsmith's tale, larding it through withpsychological uncertainty and disquieting editing. He allowed hispassion for the material to make it his own, molding it into avibrantly convoluted and unique experience. The re-make, by comparison,feels abbreviated and pedestrian. Had Wenders never made his film,"Ripley's Game" would rank higher in general satisfaction.Unfortunately, the second adaptation cannot escape the shadow of thefirst and ends up being secondary.

07 March 2013

A Solid Crime Movie, Thanks To Three Leads

This was good; a solid crime story. It's the "Tom Ripley" of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but now older and being played by John Malkovich instead of Matt Damon. He's also, at least to me, a totally different character so this story stands on its own. There's no tie-in to that previous filmMalkovich plays his normal role, playing the kind of character he's good at playing: the smart, sarcastic and sadistic villain with the interesting vocabulary. The plot in this movie revolves around Ripley having someone else do some of the latest killings for him, an "average Joe" that no one would suspect. That role is played by Dougray Scott, a young Englishman with a wife and young son, but a man who is dying of leukemia and could use a little extra money for his family when he's gone. Ripley's partner "Reeves" also is an intriguing guy, played by Ray Winstone who also often portrays this time of character: a vicious, profane thug. If you saw "Sexy Beast," you'll know the type of guy Winstone plays here.Suffice to say this wound up a pleasant surprise: great dialog, good photography and acting, some dark humor along with good suspense and just the right amount of action and lulls. It is heavy on the profanity, so beware of that.

Neil Doyle

15 February 2013

Taut, tense and terrific...gorgeous photography...

Anyone who starts watching this little known film will have a hard timeturning away. It takes Patricia Highsmith's novel and turns it into astylish thriller, full of handsome interiors and lush location photographyin Germany and Italy. Given the benefit of expert performances by JohnMalkovich, Dougray Scott and Ray Winstone, it's a tale that moves along at afast clip and never lets go of the suspense.It's more absorbing to watch without knowing anything of the plot, so I'llskip plot details and just say it has elements of Highsmith's other suspensetales (innocent man drawn into a murder for hire scheme) and most closelyresembles her "Talented Mr. Ripley" story so successfully brought to thescreen a few years ago.John Malkovich, with his strange acting mannerisms makes a quirky anti-heroas Ripley and gets excellent support from Dougray Scott who makes theinnocent carpenter a believable and sympathetic collaborator. Ray Winstonemakes the obnoxious Reeves a vivid character. The train sequence involvingthe second murder is extremely well done.Highly recommended as a vivid, colorful thriller.

Anthimus

14 February 2013

Fantastic! Ingenious! Superior Movie all the way!

First of all my gratitude to :Liliana Cavani, Patricia Highsmith, Ray Winstone, JohnMalkovich,for there contribute to this masterpiece of a movie.The way John Malkovich aka Tom Ripley plays the gentleman "hitman" with anexpression on the face that can only be done by a genius. That can only meanthis character befits him 100%.Ray Winstone aka Reeves plays a man who is ill and gets an offer he canrefuse! but will he? Also excellent performance by him throughout the wholemovie.To bad movies like this only come along once in a year:-(8/10Cheers