AFI Fest Report: Ripley Under Ground Review
I will confess to being unaware that there was a third (fifth, actually, if you consider that two have been made twice) Ripley film until just now, never mind that it stars the criminally under used Barry Pepper. Here's Peter Martin at AFI with his thoughts.
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Ten years after her death, Patricia Highsmith continues to inspire criminal mayhem.
Her first novel, STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, was famously translated to the screen by Alfred Hitchcock, but it was her creation of Tom Ripley, an amoral, psychopathic, murderous chameleon, that leaves behind the biggest legacy. The first of five books in the Ripley series, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY, was adapted by Rene Clement as PURPLE NOON (PLEIN SOLEIL) in 1960, with Alain Delon as Ripley, and under its original title in 1999, with Matt Damon. The third novel in the series, RIPLEY'S GAME, was adapted in 1977 by Wim Wenders, with Dennis Hopper as Ripley, and in 2002 by Liliana Cavani, with John Malkovich in the starring role.
Now the second book has been translated to the screen. This time, Barry Pepper has the honors as Tom Ripley,
and if his name does not carry the cachet of Delon, Damon, Hopper, or Malkovich, that's OK, because in this film Ripley is more of a background player who occasionally steps forward to act as a catalyst for his friends, gently pushing them toward their baser instincts. I have yet to read the Highsmith novels -- not enough time in the world to do everything you want -- but I wonder if Pepper's interpretation of the role, as directed by Roger Spottiswoode, is any truer to Highsmith's original?
In any event, what we have in RIPLEY UNDER GROUND is a lighthearted black comedy, cloaked in the guise of a murder mystery. We find Ripley about to be kicked out of a drama academy for non-payment of his tuition and a fradulent application. In his favor, he has friends: Bernard (Ian Hart), an insecure artist, fellow actor Cynthia (Claire Forlani), and her boyfriend Derwatt (Douglas Henshall), an up-and-coming artist represented by Jeff (Alan Cumming).
On the night of Derwatt's first gallery exhibition, Cynthia rejects his proposal of marriage, and the artist is killed when he drunkenly drives off the road. Ripley suggests they cover up his death to maximize the profit potential; mercenary art dealer Jeff is delighted, as is Cynthia, who saw no future in her relationship with Derwatt anyway. Only Bernard expresses qualms, but his conscience is soothed by Cynthia's sexual ministrations, all the better to
enable Bernard to forge more Derwatt "originals."
Ripley romances French heiress Heloise (Jacinda Barrett) while everyone gets rich from Bernard's expert forgeries, until American art dealer Murchison (Willem Dafoe) throws a monkey wrench into the proceedings.
The production values are very good, aided by European location shooting and Paul Sarossy's lush cinematography. The script is fine, and there's not much to fault in Roger Spottiswode's direction.
Still, it's hard to shake off the feeling that this falls shy of what it could have been. For me, it all comes back to Barry Pepper. I've only seen a few of his films, and I can't seem to forget his decent, God-fearing deadly sniper in SAVING PRIVATE RYAN. That seemed a perfect fusion of actor and character. Those who played the Ripley role before set the bar higher than Pepper reaches here -- he's not entirely convincing when displaying playful menance. To be fair, that may have been what the filmmakers intended.
RIPLEY UNDER GROUND is well-made, enjoyable fluff, and has enough pleasant twists to make it worth seeking
out.
It had its World Premiere last night (Sunday, November 6). Lions Gate Films has distribution rights.
Review by Peter Martin.