Ripley's Game

Amazon.com

The slippery protagonist of The Talented Mr. Ripley returns in another deadly guise in Ripley's Game, a well-appointed star vehicle. The star this time is John Malkovich, whose older Tom Ripley has settled into an Italian villa and a life of aesthetic contemplation (a little like Hannibal Lecter in Hannibal). A former partner (Ray Winstone) drags an innocent frame-maker (Dougray Scott), dying of leukemia, into the role of unexpected hit man. Ripley, for his own enigmatic reasons, helps. Liliana Cavani, of The Night Porter notoriety, directed this handsome if nebulous film (which has no connection to the Matt Damon picture, other than a Patricia Highsmith source novel). Malkovich exudes his usual oily disenchantment with the world; Lena Headey, like the location footage, is gorgeous. The same novel was adapted in very different style by Wim Wenders for his brilliant 1977 film, The American Friend, with Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz. --Robert Horton

Description

Mr. Ripley emerges from retirement to preside over one last deadly game, but can he persuade an innocent man to commit murder?

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Crime Movie, Thanks To Three Leads.......2007-09-07

This was good; a solid crime story. It's the "Tom Ripley" of "The Talented Mr. Ripley," but now older and being played by John Malkovich instead of Matt Damon. He's also, at least to me, a totally different character so this story stands on its own. There's no tie-in to that previous film

Malkovich plays his normal role, playing the kind of character he's good at playing: the smart, sarcastic and sadistic villain with the interesting vocabulary.

The plot in this movie revolves around Ripley having someone else do some of the latest killings for him, an "average Joe" that no one would suspect. That role is played by Dougray Scott, a young Englishman with a wife and young son, but a man who is dying of leukemia and could use a little extra money for his family when he's gone. Ripley's partner "Reeves" also is an intriguing guy, played by Ray Winstone who also often portrays this time of character: a vicious, profane thug. If you saw "Sexy Beast," you'll know the type of guy Winstone plays here.

Suffice to say this wound up a pleasant surprise: great dialog, good photography and acting, some dark humor along with good suspense and just the right amount of action and lulls. It is heavy on the profanity, so beware of that.

A Terrible Hero.......2007-09-03

John Malkovich plays villianous Tom Ripley to perfection in a quirky, action filled, improbable suspense thriller filmed on beautiful location in the Italian countryside and in darkly modern Berlin. As Ripley says, when he realized he didn't have a conscience, it bothered him for a time, then it didn't. And so Ripley goes through life, spreading mayhem for his own benefit. But in the end of this one, he realizes that his fellow man, at least, are ultimately good. An entertaining ride.

Fascinating story, brilliantly acted.......2007-07-28

I went to see The Talented Mr. Ripley, on the strength of its cast, knowing nothing of Ms. Highsmith's novels. I was captivated by the story in all of its surprising twists and turns. I found, somewhat to my alarm, that I was rooting for the criminal, and greatly relieved when he got away with murder. Hmmm.

So, several years later, when I saw a DVD with the name Ripley on it, and John Malkevich's face, I assumed that it was about the same character. I thought to myself, that Malkovich, who plays "strange" so well, would be a perfect Ripley. I picked it up along with five others and, again, when it came time to choose, found myself almost going against my better impulses by chosing this film. I told myself it was sick and evil and I shouldn't indulge in such rot. And, I watched it, captivated as before by this amazing man!

It was interested to see how Tom Ripley had developed in the years since we saw him (as Matt Damon). He had outgrown his youthful insecurities and was deeply entrenched in his life as amoral lover of the good things in life. Any qualms about his life style seemed to have long since been quenched. The opening scene, in Berlin, (which is scarey enough) shows Ripley in great form, the discriminating art dealer, who doesn't hesitate to murder a fellow who has dared to handle his drawings. The switch from soft spoken aesthete to brutal killer is stunning. Then, he resumes his hyper cool persona, again outside, commenting to his business associate that the meeting was "interesting."

So, for anyone who missed the books or first film, the enigmatic character of Tom Ripley is well displayed. The story is fascinating, involving not only the complexity of Ripley's character, but that of his polar opposite, a poor picture framer with a loving wife and child. Jonathan, the framer, invites Ripley over for a birthday party, at his modest but warm home with a group of friends. He makes the mistake of commenting to his friends, that Ripley, with all his money, has ostentatious bad taste and has completely ruined the heart and soul of the old villa he bought. dum de dum dum...Ripley, standing in the doorway has heard this. Poor Jonathan doesn't know that one thing you should never do to Tom Ripley is criticize his bad taste! He will live to regret this innocent statement..and die.

What I found so interesting about this story, is not just the obvious fascination with this cool character who has a habit of getting away with murder, but the relationship between these two men. Johnathan is the hard working, low paid artisan, who has a hard time making ends meet but he is rich in the sense of having a beautiful adoring wife and a precious son. He seems to be the kind of guy who always plays by the rules, does what he believes is good and right and gets the short end of the stick.
His wife has to work and submit herself to being lecherously ogled by her boss, and to make things as bad as possible, he has terminal leukemia.

It's almost as if these two opposites are drawn together, like the little black and white magnet dogs we used to play with as kids. Ripley, the bloodless winner, who gets everything he wants in life, by ignoring conventional morality. His home is huge, his fortune is assured, and he even has a beautiful woman of his own, a famous harpsichordist. At Jonathan's party, his wife tells Ripley that she wished she could do something creative, like R's lover. Ripley seems to like her and assures her that the sweater she has knitted is beautiful and that she is indeed creative.

As it has been shown in other Ripley novels, he has a way of absorbing the qualities of other people. First it was rich Dickie Greenleaf, who introduced the whole opulent lifestyle to him. Now, that he has thorougly mastered "rich" perhaps it's time for him to move up the evolutionary scale to something more humane. At least that's what I saw here.

In the first part of the film, Ripley is running true to form, by cleverly manipulating poor Jonathan into becoming a killer-for-hire. We see Jonathan, who at first is completely appalled by this offer, gradually weaken and give in. True, his motives are sterling -- to provide for his family after his death. But still...murder! It's so out of his character that he goes through lots of angst before and during the "job." Amazingly, he pulled it off very well. His conscience racks him, though, and he lies about the money to his wife, who occupies the same moral high ground as he does. He knows she would not go for this!

He thinks his trouble is over, with the money hidden under the kitchen sink, until the fellow who set up the deal, with Ripley's help, returns, to want another murder done. Jonathan refuses until he realizes that his wife and child will be killed if he doesn't go along with it.

At this point in the story, there is a shift and this is what I find most fascinating. Ripley, for some reason that he cannot explain, decides to put a stop to this and forbids the intermediary from involving Jonathan further. It's too late, though, and we see the poor guy, sweating as usual, with his angst ridden face, bording a train to Dusseldorf to strangle a member of the Russian mafia. Things get very exciting and dangerous and then....out of the men's room, appears our man Ripley to help out the suffering Jonathan. It's quite amazing and horrible and even funny.

From then on the two are buddies. We see them playing chess, which is quite symbolic, if you think about it. Ripley has taken a protective role towards Jonathan, and, knowing that the Russians will be coming to get him, prohibts Jonathan from coming to his home. Jonathan, though, for his part, perhaps to pay Ripley back for saving his life on the train, shows up anyway to help Ripley. It's the ultimate twist in this convoluted plot.

At one point, after the train murder, after Jonathan has spent 20 minutes vomiting, Ripley, cool as ever, politely reminds him that they have a plane to catch. J. asks R. why he has bothered to save his life and R. says he doesn't really know, but mumbles something about the fact that we are always being born.

In the final sequence, where J. and R. are sequestered in the villa, awaiting the Russians, J. complains that he can't stand waiting. R. lets drop one very telling statement--that as a child, once he waited and waited for his parents to return from a boat trip. Then, in his impassive bloodless way, he says, "They drowned." Oh boy! No wonder this poor guy has built a shell of defensiveness over his heart. And no wonder the sight of a man who goes to such lengths, sweating all the way, to provide for his wife and son, is what begins to open his own heart again.

You have to sort of hunt for this, though. The director, in true Ripleyesque style does not dwell on it....but, wow! Think about it.
I do like happy endings and I was glad that I watched this film. I recommend it for anyone, especially those willing to look a little under the surface.

Did I mention that Malkevich was perfect? He was astounding....both in the bloodless scenes and in the final few where he becomes a little more human. Watch the facial expressions, listen to the voice. It's an amazing performance. Cheers to the director, too, who handles the whole thing perfectly, establishing just the right tone between horrific and human and even humorous.

(3.5 STARS) Darkly Funny Thriller with Great Acting from John Malkovich.......2007-07-21

The story of Patricia Highsmith's unique character Tom Ripley (which was once filmed as "The American Friend" by Wim Wenders) is taken up again this time by Liliana Cavani. John Malkovich plays the rich, nihilistic hero living in Italy who, with a help from a sleazy guy named Reeves (Ray Winstone) his former partner in crime, makes Jonathan, an ailing picture framer (Dougray Scott), a contract killer hired for them.

The film's situation is unusual, even impossible, especially when you know why Ripley is attracted to this far-fetched crime. And you surely need suspense of disbelief if you really want to enjoy this curiously intriguing thriller. Wait until one suspenseful, darkly funny sequence set in the night train in Germany. Things take unexpected turns more than once, leading up to the conclusion that is as enigmatic as the protagonist himself.

The film is tour-de-force of the star John Malkovich as Ripley with a calm voice, chilling and calculating, whose complex personality always baffles us. You may dislike him (why not), or you may be attracted to him, but either way he never bores us. Some may find undercurrent theme (like homosexuality) in the apparently implausible storyline. Some may think the film is a very dark comedy. This beautifully-shot film remains ambiguous; ambiguity is part of the film's essence, and its charm.

This is a film you will either love or hate. Considering the rather neglected status of the film when it was originally released, opinions seem tilted toward "hate." I understand that because this is a thriller where the idea of good and evil means nothing. Tom Ripley is not the person you really want to know in real life, but here he is just fascinating, well, at least to some of us.

A perfect test of Highsmith's theory.......2007-07-19

Patricia Highsmith, who wrote Ripley's Game, thought that any human was capable of murder given the right set of circumstances. Thus her book, Ripley's Game, puts her theory to the test. This excellent film version is very well done, primiarily by maintaining focus on the central theme that Highsmith wished to explore and not getting caught in Hollywood special effects and gory details.

In this film, we have the wonderful Highsmith creation, Tom Ripley, the young man who finds that he is a complete sociopath and then finds complete enjoyment in acting upon his homicidal impulses. Ripley is an interesting character. He is a highly refined and intelligent sociopath. Thus he is able to maintain an ice cool philosophical view of the murders he commits. He asks whether the world is worse off or change by the murders he commits and decides that human life is worth very little in the larger cosmic picture. He has no guilt, no remorse, only morbid curiosity and a desire to live a life of composure among art treasures, Tuscan palaces, antiquities, exquisite gardens, and a beautiful and talented lover.

In this film, Ripley is contrasted with an Italian picture framer who is a young husband and father slowly dying from leukemia. This young man makes the mistake of insulting Ripley at a neighborhood cocktail party and sets the stage to become a play-thing in Ripley's games of murder. This is the test of Highsmith's theory that anyone can be a murderer given the right set of circumstances. Ripley finds that the young man is dying and that he is concerned for the financial support of his young wife and child after he is gone. Ripley then involves they fellow in series of well paid assassintations.

John Malkvich is excellent at playing Tom Ripley, very cool and sophisticated in his homicidal mode. Dougray Scott is excellent as the young father, pushed into extreme circumstances. Yet there is a price and consequences for anyone who leads a normal life and then commits a terrible crime. Dougray Scott's character pays far more that his journey than he every expects. He may be good at murder but he is not good at hiding himself from his wife.

The film is entertaining and beautifully filmed in the Italian countryside.

Average customer rating:

A Solid Crime Movie, Thanks To Three Leads
A Terrible Hero
Fascinating story, brilliantly acted
(3.5 STARS) Darkly Funny Thriller with Great Acting from John Malkovich
A perfect test of Highsmith's theory

Ripley's Game [Region 2]
Starring: Ray Winstone , John Malkovich , Uwe Mansshardt , Hanns Zischler , and Paolo Paoloni
Director: Liliana Cavani
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Thrillers | Mystery & Suspense | Genres | DVD | Video

( R ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00009P9XX