RIPLEY (2024) – A masterpiece and work of art!
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

This TV series is based on the novel The Talented Mr. Ripley written in 1955 by Patricia Highsmith. Avid movie goers will no doubt have heard of or maybe even seen and remember the 1999 movie adaptation that starred Matt Damon as Ripley. This new TV series is created, written and directed by Steven Zaillian who is known for writing screenplays that often deal with tragedy and drama. His greatest achievement was probably his screenplay for Schindler’s List (1993) which won him an Oscar, a Golden Globe as well as a BAFTA Award! His work in Ripley is obviously a labour of love given the level of detail and excellent quality that is put on display in the 8 episodes here.
Right from the start, we are hit with stark and strikingly mysterious and yet beautiful images in black and white. Even though Steven Zaillian’s forte lies with his writing, he demonstrates here over and over again that he is just as comfortable and competent in conveying his story through images and not words. Every frame literally in every scene comes across like a work of art! It helps of course to have much of the film’s location be filmed in picturesque Italy. But even the few opening scenes of New York came across looking memorable. As the story is set in the 1950’s the film makers have to cleverly frame the location shots tightly to avoid any modern elements coming into the picture. The black and white helps as details can be camouflage as shadows, blood stain made to appear as dark patches of stain blended into the tapestry of the setting. Couple this exceptional visionary expedition with a spellbinding tale of deceit and greed, and a lineup of fascinating character performances, you get one of the finest that TV can offer.
Andrew Scott whom we had just seen recently in All of Us Strangers, plays Ripley, the professional con artist who manages to fool everybody when he takes on the identity of another person. In this version, Ripley comes across as a criminal that gets away with murder in a blundering manner. Indeed, one way to interpret the reference to “talented” is Ripley’s uncanny “talent’ to improvise (often clumsily) whenever he finds himself in a tight situation, and turn the circumstances around in his favour. As such Andrew Scott’s Ripley does not come across as someone overly self-confident but instead someone with flaws which in turns probably helps in his deception. Andrew is cast against the incredibly talented Dakota Fanning who is simply captivating every time she appears.
It is also interesting to note that many of the side characters are so well defined and project a unique personality of their own. There is subtle humour each time we see these characters draw their own conclusions without realising where they have missed the point until it literally becomes too late. In a way, this is a realistic reflection of real life as we so often cannot see the full picture when faced with incomplete or inaccurate information. It adds to the depth of the story that touches on obsession, social divide and a cautionary tale of not being too trusting of strangers.
We have Steve Zaillian to thank for sharing his magnificent vision with us, and I cannot wait to see what else he has in store for us in the future. Ripley is clearly one of the year’s best and a tough act to follow.