Brad Pitt, Leonardo DiCaprio, Johnny Depp, even his co-star in 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', Jude Law, all have seem to have suffered from the same audience-inflicted disease as Matt Damon. The diagnosis? They gather acclaim more on their "good looks" than their actual on-screen performances. This can lead to some (like Brad Pitt) becoming criminally undervalued actors especially when it comes to awards seasons. The group- that includes Damon- are overlooked and disregarded time after time, and I feel he was simply ignored for his turn as Tom Ripley.
We begin the film knowing that Ripley is a smart man. He constantly decieves every person he comes across, applying his fake demeanor and faux grin, a feat which is first seen as he approaches the young Dickie Greenleaf and Dickie's girlfriend, Marge whilst on a beach in sunny Italy. Ripley reminds Dickie how they were both students at Princeton University in New Jersey, and although his memory isn't jogged, Greenleaf allows Ripley to tag along with him as he enjoys himself in Southern Europe.
My memory, however, was certainly jogged around 40 minutes into this movie as I realised the range and capability of the lead man here. In just two years, Matt Damon had gone from his relatable Will Hunting to the absolute opposite in Tom Ripley. Feats like this are rare even for some of the best actors. Even the greats like Nicholson, Duvall or Hackman would struggle to navigate their way between the character spectrum- they either stick with the 'madman' character, or the 'down-to-earth' good-guy. To have not even been recognised with an Oscar nomination for his work here, Matt Damon should feel absolutely robbed.
Throughout the 2hr19m runtime, I found myself so unbelievable fascinated by the portrayal of Ripley and the character himself, Minghella's movie almost took a backseat, thus making the film a victim of its own success. Had the other characters not felt like they were simply there to put an obsticle in Mr. Ripley's way then maybe they'd have posed a more interesting dynamic on-screen, and certainly would have kept the film rolling.
This is superb insight into the mind of a narcissist. If only the rest of the picture could keep up with Damon's intense, captivating and career-best performance. Worthy of a watch.
