tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post1267845784065516029..comments2024-03-27T21:42:56.131-05:00Comments on 1001plus: Assumed IdentitiesSJHoneywellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-54991326827073911262015-11-09T14:16:17.147-06:002015-11-09T14:16:17.147-06:00I agree completely on the casting of Damon. I thin...I agree completely on the casting of Damon. I think it's something that works in the film's favor, and I don't at all see a problem with banking on an actor's perceived public persona to work that way in the film. I have no doubt that Edward Norton could have pulled off the role, but I don't think it would be the same movie, nor as effective. <br /><br />There's a reason I didn't specifically call out Gwyneth Paltrow above. I can take her or leave her. Someone like Kate Winslet would have been great for this.SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-43353166865342592072015-11-09T14:13:14.734-06:002015-11-09T14:13:14.734-06:00Yeah, I get where you're going. With a day or ...Yeah, I get where you're going. With a day or so to think on it, I think one of the main problems is that most of the problems experienced by Tom Ripley in the second half of the movie could have been easily solved by him simply telling Meredith that he'd lied about his identity. Someone depicted as smart as Tom Ripley could have easily come up with an excuse for doing this, but he doesn't, and it's ultimately what drives him to commit the various acts he does, or at least some of them.<br /><br />The film does feel emotionally distant in some respect, and that might be what you found off-putting. On Letterboxd, I gave it a decent rating, but was probably half a star down from what I thought it would be based on the plot synopsis, and I think it was that reason that caused me to mark it down. SJHoneywellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13550007053995112090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-29663600134791840812015-11-09T13:07:06.769-06:002015-11-09T13:07:06.769-06:00That's a solid take on the film. I can see wha...That's a solid take on the film. I can see what you're saying about Damon but if an actor less likable had been cast would the audience want to stick with the film until the conclusion? For instance Edward Norton was in the running for the role but was passed over in favor of Damon, I don't think he would have fared as well. He's an excellent actor but there is something innately weaselly about him that would have impeded the audience from feeling for him the way you do Matt. He, and the gorgeous scenery, are the prime reasons to seek the film out. <br /><br />I too would have liked to see more of Blanchett though her scarcity made sense to the overall story. Hoffman was also strong and suitably slimy despite being in a way one of the innocents of the piece, that didn't make him any less repellent. I was less enamored of both Law and Paltrow. I remember when the picture came out and Jude was being heaped with "A Star is Born" praise but I didn't see it then nor do I see it now. I guess most of the rest of the moviegoing public didn't either since despite numerous runs at it he never made it as a top star. Paltrow was less dull on screen than usual but a more charismatic actress, say Kate Winslet, would have added more of a dimension to Marge's portion of the picture. <br /><br />It isn't a film that I watch very often, I think maybe once since that initial time in the cinema, but Minghella did bring some fresh perspective to this reworking of Purple Noon and managed to craft a watchable, entertaining film.joel65913https://www.blogger.com/profile/14526657073681774683noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3166297507174717122.post-77239568703095588472015-11-09T11:17:08.182-06:002015-11-09T11:17:08.182-06:00I tend to like films about smart people, especiall...I tend to like films about smart people, especially if they are caper films or escape from a situation ones. This is even if the character is amoral. For instance, one of the things I think makes Die Hard so good is how smart and prepared Hans Gruber is. You can almost want to see him succeed in breaking into the vault.<br /><br />Despite this, there was something about The Talented Mr. Ripley that just didn't connect with me and I don't know why. I don't really disagree with anything you wrote here. <br /><br />The first movie made of this story - Plein Soleil (aka Purple Noon) - is one I like better. I saw it after seeing the film above, so it wasn't the freshness of the story for me. The major difference between the two is the ending, but I liked Purple Noon more even before that. Again, I'm not sure why.Chip Laryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00787403805554027107noreply@blogger.com