The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)

Minghella overcomplicates the lightweight thriller with excessive detail and characterisation, resulting in a film lacking a sympathetic centre. Strong performances from Damon and Law stand out amid the stylish but uneven execution.

The review sees the film as a lush psychological thriller and nineties take on Highsmith but finds it a struggle for Minghella, with Damon playing a nervous neophyte rather than a sociopathic pro who kills in panic. It praises the warm, appealing Italy and strong performances while missing some of the novel's profound chill and deep rot.

A tense, troubling thriller full of vivid, miserable life that is worth more than a peep, though marred by pacing issues in the middle and some implausible characterisation. It singles out Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance as the viciously astute Freddie for particular praise.

Minghella's adaptation of Highsmith is a seductive triumph that follows the story closely but takes imaginative liberties, such as making Dickie's death unpremeditated. The critic praises the film's intelligent handling of class envy and identity, its evocative 1950s Italian setting, brilliant manipulation scenes, and unforgettable moments, while noting we share in admiring Ripley's criminal artistry.

The critic praises the film's diabolically smart surprises and sensually charged adaptation of Highsmith, crediting Minghella with complex allure and nuanced direction that broadens the story while keeping Ripley's sting. Damon delivers a fine mix of obsequiousness and ruthlessness as a less loathsome but still compelling Ripley.

Minghella's imaginative but mostly faithful adaptation is a class act in every sense, an elegantly polished affair with top-notch performances, magnificent camerawork and editing. It is acutely aware of how class, money and sex shape desire and resentment, and of the distinctions between facade, pretence and reinventing oneself.

The review calls it a mostly intoxicating and involving tale of intrigue and crime that loses stride in the home stretch, a fine follow-up by Minghella to The English Patient with splendid casting and heady first hour of youthful abandon in 1950s Italy. Performances are aces, especially Damon, Law and Paltrow, though it becomes more conventional and plot-driven later.

The critic finds the film too long and slow but praises Anthony Minghella's elegant direction and loyalty to the spirit of Patricia Highsmith's novel. Matt Damon's low-key performance as the enigmatic Ripley and the film's visual opulence are highlighted as strengths.