As I predicted, I got around to seeing a second adaptation of the same Patricia Highsmith novel. I'm glad I waited, because I could no longer remember much of what happened before. Nevertheless, looking back over my review of Purple Noon, I noticed a number of differences, some of which reportedly hew closer to the source material.
In the '50s, a New York shipping magnate (James Rebhorn) mistakes master of fakery Tom Ripley (Matt Damon) for a former classmate of rebellious son Dickie (Jude Law) and hires him to fetch Dickie from a prodigal life in Italy. Tom becomes a friendly third wheel to Dickie and girlfriend Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) but soon reveals his mission, which he utterly fails. This does not end Tom's welcome in Dickie's eyes, but when that does run out, the two have a physical fight and Tom kills him. Tom begins telling earlier acquaintances that Dickie is away somewhere and telling later acquaintances that he is Dickie. Offhand, I'd say it's his hardest con job yet. It could be funny if it weren't deadly serious.
Thickening the plot is Tom's new seeming friendship with Meredith (Cate Blanchett), who doesn't already know Dickie or Marge, but Tom hadn't counted on them meeting through mutual connections. I guess it wasn't too far-fetched in those days for a handful of Americans to wind up in the same parts of Italy, but it might be the most contrived element. Summaries of the book and PN say nothing about Meredith, so maybe somebody working on this production added her just for extra complexity.
Indeed, there are several more characters getting mixed up in the tangled web Tom weaves, including Freddie (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Peter (Jack Davenport). It makes sense that Dickie wouldn't enjoy la dolce vita with only Marge and eventually Tom for company. The result is a more challenging juggling act for Tom, whose desperation means that further murders are not off the table.
One fairly common complaint about TTMR is that it runs an unnecessary 24 minutes longer than PN. I actually appreciate getting more buildup before the death of Dickie. It may take a while to feel like a crime drama/thriller, but the characters' emotional reactions come across as more understandable if not more justified. For example, I had completely overlooked the hiring setup in PN.
Dickie strikes my interest like "Philippe" never did. He can flip on the charisma like a light, which also helps describe how fickle he is. He drinks things in but gets temperamentally tired of them quickly, cheating on Marge and even thinking of switching jazz instruments. I can see why Tom, while not consistently liking Dickie, would want to be in his shoes. Furthermore, this fickleness explains how Tom can convince people as effectively as he does that Dickie is always unavailable, if not in serious trouble.
And how do we feel about Tom? Well, on one hand, he doesn't kill Dickie in cold blood this time; he just gets carried away in the moment. His skills are impressive without straining credulity. Youthful Damon's face makes you want to like him, and his frequently worn glasses somehow enhance the image of innocence. OTOH, deception and violence appear to become increasingly habitual for him. Toward the end, we're less apt to root for him to get away with what he does.
Some viewers accuse Damon of a lackluster performance compared with Alain Delon, but I prefer the former. What can I say? Delon never drew me in. Maybe I spent too much time looking at the subtitles instead of him, or maybe my sister's erstwhile crush on Damon rubbed off on me a tad.
Speaking of crushes, one component that I'm sure was missing from PN is Tom's evident orientation. In a few scenes, he clearly craves Dickie or Peter (uh, don't read too much into their names) in a way that I don't register in his interactions with Meredith or Marge. Of course, no matter which way he swings, a guy like him can't have a fulfilling relationship. Or a lasting one.
The finale is ambiguous, bordering on abrupt, but this is one time that it doesn't bother me. We know that no amount of success will put Tom mentally in the clear. If you think you'd be fine with that sort of development, then I suggest you take a chance on TTMR. Even when it misses the mark, you should get something out of it.
No comments:
Post a Comment