Thanks. I was wondering about that.Big Magilla wrote: ↑Tue Apr 09, 2024 6:21 pm Blanchett's character was not in Highsmith's original. It was created for the 1999 film.
Ripley
Re: Ripley
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Big Magilla
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Re: Ripley
Blanchett's character was not in Highsmith's original. It was created for the 1999 film.
Started to watch episode 1 last night, fell asleep before it ended. Will pick it up at some point.
Started to watch episode 1 last night, fell asleep before it ended. Will pick it up at some point.
Ripley
Ripley, on Netflix, is worth watching just for its cinematography (by Oscar winner Robert Elswit) and production design alone. Gorgeousness abounds, quite the contrast for such a dark story. The black-and-white cinematography was an apt choice. Minor spoilers ahead for those who haven’t seen The Talented Mr. Ripley or aren’t familiar with the source material by Patricia Highsmith.
This 8-hour miniseries actually covers less ground than the 1999 film, e.g., it doesn’t have the characters played by Cate Blanchett nor Ripley’s male lover. In other words, it takes its sweet time. This worked very well for me, especially in that it allowed for details of Ripley’s sociopathic machinations rather than just depicting the key acts. Others may find it a bit slow.
I had somewhat mixed feelings about Andrew Scott as Ripley. First and foremost he’s significantly too old for this part. He’s in his upper 40s, and though at one point an eyewitness estimates that he and Dickie are in their 30s, that’s still somewhat too old to mesh with the plot’s impetus of Dickie Greenleaf’s father trying to get him to stop galavanting irresponsibly in Italy and come home to New York. That aside, Scott can be counted on to make interesting choices as an actor. While Matt Damon’s Ripley showed him as more conflicted about his acts, Scott’s characterization is very cold and calculated. A less relatable character, perhaps, but more in keeping with the type of man capable of doing what Ripley does. Interesting here that it’s not even clear whether Ripley is gay. His potential queerness is referenced but Ripley seems not at all interested in human relations save for those that serve his financial interests.
The other main actors are just okay. Johnny Flynn as Dickie wasn’t charming enough, and Dakota Fanning as Marge was mostly dour without being particularly compelling. I did really like Eliot Sumner as Freddie and especially Maurizio Lombardi as the inspector.
They leave it wide open at the end for a potential sequel. Highsmith certainly wrote plenty of Ripley material. I recommend checking it out.
This 8-hour miniseries actually covers less ground than the 1999 film, e.g., it doesn’t have the characters played by Cate Blanchett nor Ripley’s male lover. In other words, it takes its sweet time. This worked very well for me, especially in that it allowed for details of Ripley’s sociopathic machinations rather than just depicting the key acts. Others may find it a bit slow.
I had somewhat mixed feelings about Andrew Scott as Ripley. First and foremost he’s significantly too old for this part. He’s in his upper 40s, and though at one point an eyewitness estimates that he and Dickie are in their 30s, that’s still somewhat too old to mesh with the plot’s impetus of Dickie Greenleaf’s father trying to get him to stop galavanting irresponsibly in Italy and come home to New York. That aside, Scott can be counted on to make interesting choices as an actor. While Matt Damon’s Ripley showed him as more conflicted about his acts, Scott’s characterization is very cold and calculated. A less relatable character, perhaps, but more in keeping with the type of man capable of doing what Ripley does. Interesting here that it’s not even clear whether Ripley is gay. His potential queerness is referenced but Ripley seems not at all interested in human relations save for those that serve his financial interests.
The other main actors are just okay. Johnny Flynn as Dickie wasn’t charming enough, and Dakota Fanning as Marge was mostly dour without being particularly compelling. I did really like Eliot Sumner as Freddie and especially Maurizio Lombardi as the inspector.
They leave it wide open at the end for a potential sequel. Highsmith certainly wrote plenty of Ripley material. I recommend checking it out.