Rating: 4/5
Based on the book The Talented Mr. Ripley, Tom Ripley (Alain Delon) and Philippe Greenleaf (Maurice Ronet) are two assholes cavorting about Rome. Through Philippe, we learn that Tom is a great liar and forger — traits we can only assume but cannot confirm, as Philippe’s rich boy’s disregard for others is hard to stomach
They meet up with Philippe’s girlfriend, Marge Duval (Marie Laforêt), to go sailing, and Tom witnesses the hot-cold relationship between Philippe and Marge. After a fight in which Philippe destroys Marge’s writing, they drop off Marge, leaving Tom and Philippe alone together, where we learn Tom’s true nature
Beautiful locales, expensive clothes, attractive boys — the film invites you into the spoils of its rich characters, letting you consider what lengths you would go to live this type of life
Alain Delon is perfect as Tom Ripley — he’s a great actor but is also pretty enough that you can believe his charm and what it grants him
The movie does diverge from the book for its ending, and in so doing, misses out on an opportunity that would have brought the film into higher regard
Still, this is a well-paced, slow burn of a thriller whose fingerprints are all over the genre