The Talented Mr Ripley (1999)

This disturbing, ominous thriller sees the talented but down on luck Mr Ripley steal the identity of America's biggest and wealthiest Shipbuilding Company’s heir’s - Dickie Greenleave. Tom Ripley, a talented musician as well as a master of forgery encounters through a series of fates, the marvellous and full of life Dickie, whom at once Ripley becomes attached to. Director Anthony Minghella has cast a talented yet broad range of actor and actresses within the film. Damon who stars as Ripley cunningly catches Ripley’s undermining homosexuality feelings towards Dickie, not to mention Ripley’s wicked and clearly physiologically deluded mind that will stop at nothing to perfect his life into what he sees as perfection and to recreate something better than himself. One of the canny lines from the film sum up Ripley’s attitude to life itself entirely, “It's better to be a fake somebody, than a real nobody!” Jude Law meanwhile, who is cast as the pretentious yet exuberant playboy captures the beat generation men whose obsession with jazz and women lead them into a life of extravagance and ruthless lies. Both leads carry of an effective performance which doesn’t fail to excite. Damon, in particular truly has captured the psychotic mind-set of a psychopath whilst this might have been Laws best performance on screen yet. This at first seems like a film filled only with loud saxophones and gorgeous scenery of Europe subtly turns into a thriller beyond what is pitched to be and for this gratitude has to be given. A must see for fans excited by a good old fashioned thriller and perfect for those looking for a gory, blood written plotline.