r/moviecritic 20h ago

This was better than I remember.

Post image
518 Upvotes

122

u/Mean-Coffee-433 19h ago edited 19h ago

That’s because movies are formulaic market tested garbage now. The Green Mile, Toy Story 2 & galaxy quest were in theaters at the same time as the talented Mr Ripley. The matrix, 6th sense, American Beauty and Fight Club came out earlier that year.

I remember the movie being better than the 13th warrior but not as good as the Iron Giant from the same year.

29

u/Skootchy 18h ago

I can't remember what year but I remember watching Shawkshank Redemption with a friend and then being like "did this movie win an Oscar?" And I don't think it was even nominated and I was like how?

Then go look at every movie that year. Might have been the best year of cinema history of all time.

17

u/Careless_Wishbone_69 16h ago

93-94-99 were hell of a trio of years for cinema.

4

u/theski2687 8h ago

It was nominated tho. And I imagine it wins if not for forest gump.

39

u/GalwayBogger 20h ago

I had the exact same feeling. Watched it in my youth and thought it was totally crazy and weird. Having watched it again 20 years later I really enjoyed it, some good performances and an intriguing story

47

u/staresinshamona 20h ago

Then you remembered wrong cause this is an awesome movie

19

u/cricket_bacon 18h ago

Then you remembered wrong cause this is an awesome movie

I've always enjoyed the movie as well. And don't forget the film also includes Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett.

Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel The Talented Mr. Ripley is well worth a read. As it is the first book of a series, I am surprised it was developed into additional movies.

Andrew Scott's Ripley is, of course, also worth a watch.

6

u/BeacanWentFishn 14h ago

Phillip Seymour Hoffman is and will always be a treat to watch, Fly high and stay cool...

64

u/henscastle 18h ago

The Talented Mr. Ripley ran so Saltburn could fall head first into a pile of dirt.

30

u/WhiskerBiskits 17h ago

Dick first*

26

u/Sour_Joe 18h ago

Really great supporting role by PSH

23

u/History_Is_Bunkier 18h ago

"hey Tommy. How's the peepin'".

17

u/AF2005 18h ago

TommyTommyTommyTommy

7

u/Spartak_Gavvygavgav 17h ago

"I think I'm saying it...."

3

u/Pvt_Hudson_ 10h ago

"Oh god, don't you want to fuck every woman you see just once?"

11

u/pimasecede 17h ago

He was just too good in this, and frankly everything. Such a loss.

6

u/Cribsby_critter 13h ago

When he to-the-side-but-still-clearly-in-earshot criticizes Matt’s character’s heavy jacket choice in summer, I felt the embarrassment so hard! He was one of the great ones. RIP

15

u/ZaphodG 17h ago

Ripley is way better cinematography but The Talented Mister Ripley has top actors. They make a great contrast.

-1

u/Revolutionary-Bee353 5h ago

Ripley is unwatchable. The Talented Mister Ripley is a great movie.

6

u/WorldEaterYoshi 17h ago

Watch Purple Noon. It's the French version of the same story that came out a lot earlier. It stars Alein Delon one of the best to ever do it. Terrible person but fantastic actor.

6

u/Spartak_Gavvygavgav 17h ago

Have watched this ten plus times. Excellent. Disturbing, thrilling, chilling. Soundtrack is fantastic from Gabriel Yared. Excellent performances from all the cast. Cinematography is beautiful, Italy looks fantastic and the era is really well presented. One of Damon's best performances. His character is all the more disturbing due to his panicky fragility, which is not as present in the book, nor in the recent Netflix adaptation. So kudos to Anthony Minghella for that aspect also.

5

u/longhairedSD 18h ago

Underrated AF!

6

u/DrinkBuzzCola 16h ago

The book is even better. The author wrote Strangers on a Train. She's brilliant. Patricia Highsmith.

3

u/nicolaszein 18h ago

Great story but i def recommend the series that just came out. Superb!

5

u/dr_tardyhands 17h ago

Love it! It's so uncomfortable to be rooting (sort of) for the baddie and the movie does it so well. Also a gorgeous soundtrack!

3

u/AraiHavana 16h ago

It’s an absolute stone cold classic.

3

u/jadestem 20h ago

I should watch it again. I only saw it once, in the theater, and I remember absolutely hating it.

3

u/cenrepute 14h ago edited 10h ago

A very loose adaptation of the novel. I think it's better. Ripley in the novel is more sinister. He's strictly a criminal. In this movie, he's more sympathetic and stumbles through his crimes.

4

u/MyDesign630 12h ago

I really wish Damon played more roles like this. It was a real shock to a lot of people when it came out because he was such a golden boy from Good Will Hunting and Saving Private Ryan.

6

u/FIREful_symmetry 18h ago

They did a remake of it as a series last year. I couldn't finish it. I usually love Andrew Scott, too.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt11016042/

4

u/TurtlishTurtle 16h ago

I loved how different it felt, especially compared to this film adaptation. I still sorely missed PSH, of course.

1

u/Rheinhold 16h ago

Yes! It was the reason I went back and rewatched the original. I didn't hate the mini-series but yeah, the original is 100 times better.

2

u/nicolaszein 18h ago

Great story but i def recommend the series that just came out. Superb!

2

u/charliehustle757 17h ago

It’s great.

3

u/Dread_P_Roberts 13h ago

A coworker excitedly told me I 'needed' to see Saltburn. I watched it, and when they asked what I thought, I said, "It's a pointless, shitty ripoff of The Talented Mr. Ripley." So now a bunch of people who had never heard of this film are checking it out.

1

u/Yarius515 10h ago

Speaks to how good Ripley is that now I wanna see Saltburn after seeing your review!

2

u/totalretired 10h ago

Seek out Ripley’s Game - based on a later book in the series. John Malkovich, Ray Winstone and Dougray Scott. Worth a watch.

1

u/Ndogg88 9h ago

This is one of only two movies I've ever walked out of the theater on.The most boring crap I've ever seen

1

u/DRZARNAK 18h ago

I wish it ended with Marge being dragged away, but it is a good film. I’ve seen every Highsmith adaptation, I believe.

1

u/longhairedSD 18h ago

Any other good ones?

2

u/Spartak_Gavvygavgav 17h ago

Hitchcock's Strangers On A Train obvs. Carol is worth a watch. But read the book (The Price of Salt) first

1

u/DRZARNAK 17h ago

I like Two Faces of January and the 2009 Cry of the Owl. Honestly I’ve enjoyed all the Ripley adaptations to one degree or another too.

1

u/Spartak_Gavvygavgav 17h ago

Oooh I haven't seen either of those. I'll put them on the list.

1

u/BarkBarkyBarkBark 17h ago

I’ve watched this no less than 20 times. Love everything about it.

“Silvaaaaanaaaaa”

1

u/ZayreBlairdere 16h ago

The books are incredible

1

u/Kurdt234 16h ago

A friend suggested the new show to me and I went in blind, loved it. I'm on the third book now but still havent seen the movie. Apparently there is a movie for every book and they all have really good actors playing Tom.

1

u/Google_Knows_Already 14h ago

This is one of those movies that people absolutely loved or hated, very few in the middle from my experience of people's reactions.

1

u/Yarius515 10h ago

Yeah that was a good one! Very dark.

1

u/Glittering-Path-2824 8h ago

Truly. That said I do wonder why anyone ever accepted gwyneth paltrow in anything. she’s useless.

1

u/The_Chef_Queen 7h ago

I DID NOT EXPECT ANYTHING IN THAT MOVIE GODDAMN IT WAS GOOD

1

u/StatisticianSure8070 6h ago

It's really good. I just watched it again a couple months ago.

Maybe a little too long - I thought it started to drag some time after San Remo. It's not that I thought it ran out of steam exactly, just that it had so goddamn much of it in the first part. Then again, I remembered the plot from years ago so I think first time watchers aren't going to feel that very much.