Ripley Returns

Patricia Highsmith’s psychological novel – The Talented Mr Ripley, set on the Amalfi coast one hot summer in the late 1950’s, has been rebooted with this crème de la crème serving of exceptional TV Noir. Andrew Scott surprises as the creepy little narcissistic con-man who becomes a full blown psychopath - an impressive upgrade on Matt Damon who played Tom Ripley in the movie version. While Johnny Flynn as "Dickie", is considerably more 1950's la bella figura (A way of life involving dressing well and making a good impression), than Jude Law ever was. Flynn portrays Dickie as a deeper, more empathetic, soul, than the silver-spooned arrogant brat that Highsmith envisioned, but he does come across as old American money with a touch of the sunglasses wearing JFK, in those old reels of the late American president on his yacht, which Highsmith also probably intended. Whereas Law portrayed Dickie as the moody, arrogant, silver-spooned, brat - straight out of a Fitzgerald novel, I am not quite sure which one Highgrove would have favoured. Personally, I think Law would have been a better fit for Ripley than Matt Damon was, but maybe that’s just me.

I found Fanning to be brilliantly intense, sensual (despite not finding her attractive in any way whatsoever), and yet another better fit for the role that Gwyneth Paltrow played in the movie. The Freddie character is played by Eliot Summer, who comes across as an oddly dressed, Oscar Wilde wannabe, and who doesn’t quite live up to Philip Seymour Hoffman’s version. Nevertheless, this doesn’t deter in any way from the brilliance of this impressive series.

Filmed entirely in black and white, the cinematography is extravagantly stunning, and with as much Italian as English dialogue going on, it's rare to get anything near as suave or as well directed on television these days. This truly is a rare example of visible art that seems like you’re stepping into a Ferdinando Scianna exhibition, only to discover it to be a living reality, and with a Hitchcock themed plot and mentally ill killer. As for all those stairs that appear consuming and grounds for a heart attack, a friend tells me that scientists think that is one of the reasons why Italians live so long - they walk everywhere. Just try a weekend in Rome if you doubt me, but mind take your comfiest shoes with you though. Ripley, you will duly note, managed to scale the stairs faster the longer he resides in the town – he gets fitter.

There are some new updated twists too, such as the introduction of the Camorra, and an Italian police inspector, played rather well by Maurizio Lombardi, but in general, the writer, who also wrote Schindler's List, has produced something quite delightful here. 

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