The Talented Mr Ripley DVD, 1999

The Talented Mr Ripley sees Matt Damon play the charming but penniless Tom Ripley, a man hired by a wealthy magnate to travel to Italy and rescue his son, Dickie (Jude Law), from a life of indolence. Upon arrival, Tom discovers that Dickie has it all - including a beautiful girlfriend, Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) - and begins to covet his luxurious lifestyle. Although Tom is sexually attracted to Dickie, the latter soon tires of him, and when Tom begins to find himself excluded from Dickie's coterie, his envy takes a murderous turn. Based on Patricia Highsmith's novel which also provided the inspiration for the French classic 'Plein Soleil' and Wim Wenders' 'The American Friend'.

Both The Talented Mr Ripley and Plein Soleil are excellent but in different ways. Minghella's version has a lush Mediterranean sunkissed beauty, complemented by its talented and attractive young cast. Matt Damon enlists the viewer's sympathies and holds onto them until the final phase of the film, when Ripley's psychotic side really takes over. Classy and entertaining.