People are voting emotionally.

Load of rubbish!!

Excellent adaptation.

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

Isn't it often the case that filmgoers who have first seen the source material find the film adaptation lacking? I wondered who might score this film lowly and found that many of them were comparing it to the original work. It's understandable that one would compare, but it is best to judge each work on its own merits.Director Minghella has created a beautiful, complex story that stands on its own very well. "Mr. Ripley" evokes the fifties, the rich depths of classicism that infuse the large cities and small towns of Italy, and especially the golden warmth of summer on the Italian coast.Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, a penniless man who inserts himself into the privileged lives of young Americans living abroad.This film was my initiation to the actor Jude Law. As such, he seemed to emerge, fully formed, as Dickie Greenleaf-one of my most memorable introductions to an actor. The wonderful cast also includes Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Each gives a performance equal to his or her best.The film's visuals are like a series of postcards. Each scene feels fully framed with loving attention and a masterful intention. Light is used lushly and lovingly. A colorful assortment of music-from jazz to opera-enhances each scene.The story is multi-layered-a character study of Ripley, the chameleon, and a mystery of sorts. In this drama, the plot becomes more complex, never seeming to resolve.Though the novel won the Edgar Allen Poe Award in 1956, this is a film that deserves many accolades, including its five Oscar nominations.

Matt Damon carries this complex and unconventional thriller. Great production values.

Tom Ripley is a bit of a non-entity but also a bit of a chameleon who can make people think he belongs. After the wealthy Herbert Greenleaf mistakenly thinks Tom was a friend of his son Dickie he is given a job… to go to Italy and persuade Dickie to return to New York. He quickly meets Dickie and his girlfriend Marge Sherwood and befriends them. He is honest about why he is there but makes Dickie believe that they share similar interests. Soon he is staying with Dickie and Marge while still being paid by Dickie's father. Eventually Herbert Greenleaf writes to thank Tom for his work but also to let him know it is clear that he has failed in his task and will no longer be paid. At the same time Dickie starts to get tired of Tom's presence. Tom doesn't take this well and strikes Dickie; a struggle ensues and Dickie is killed. Tom manages to hide the death and carries on his life… he also starts playing the part of Dickie; a role he enjoys. Inevitably the deception is hard to maintain; Marge wants to know what happened to Dickie and when a friend of Dickie pays a visit Tom must kill again to protect his secret… a killing the police believe Dickie may have committed.This was a really enjoyably film; plenty of time is spent introducing the characters and by the time of Dickie's death Tom is the more sympathetic character so it is easy for the viewer to see it as self-defence and hope he gets away with it. Even when he kills again it isn't hard to still hope he gets away with it as this victim was a frightful snob who had always looked down on Tom and people like him… it is only when Marge starts to be emotionally harmed by Tom's actions that sympathy for him starts to wane. The cast does a fine job; Matt Damen is particularly good as Tom Ripley; a character who isn't naturally dynamic but can play the part when needed. Jude Law and Gwyneth Paltrow also impress as Dickie and Marge. The story isn't rushed but nor does it drag and once Dickie has died the tension gradually rises; there is always the possibility that Tom will be exposed, either by the police or somebody who knows Dickie, and each to it looks like he could be exposed there is the feeling that people around him are in danger. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to anybody wanting a good drama set in some beautiful Italian locations.

This is the 700th user review, and I'm proud to provide my thoughts on The Talented Mr Ripley. So much has been said about it, but Matt Damon really demonstrates his acting chops and shows his range in a complex and ambiguous role where you wonder if the audience is supposed to empathize with him as he seeks to further his lot in life.If you get a chance, check out to the director's commentary, and it's definitely worth listening to. The denouement in this fine movie was very haunting, as you realize Tom has nowhere to go but eliminate Peter in order to protect himself from being exposed to Meredith. Such is the life that Ripley must now lead.