Ripley Under Ground

This film is entertaining. Just imagine the character of Barry Pepper as someone else and not Ms. Patricia Highsmith's Thomas Ripley, you will be engrossed and not so disappointed. For me, I can't do that. I have already been impressed by both Matt Damon's and John Malkovich's Ripley, whose performances are so right one can't help feeling that they really play the same person at different ages, despite two completely different look and totally separate productions. I am not so sure who gets it wrong between Barry Pepper who plays him or Roger Spottiswoode the director. Thomas Ripley is not an accidental psychopath. He is a professional one who is completely conscious of all his actions and perfectly comfortable with them. He has excellent taste equipped with the vast knowledge of everything beyond his means, so he cheats, steals, and kills for such yearning. Tom Ripley never protests or acts against the mainstream. He simply has his own ways and means, and executes them rather effectively. Pepper's Ripley is not even close. His Ripley is boringly human, ordinary, and commonplace. He is supposed to be a genuinely evil spirit who lives well and excels among the sophistication of all kinds. Being an American does not stop him from being well-cultivated and subtle. Ripley's creator, Ms. Highsmith, was a big fan of him. She protested against people who made so much fuss about "a little murder" around them. See, Ripley is not a criminal but an artist of the most devious kind. This film does not get it. Furthermore, it is a poor choice of either the director or the script writer, or both, to apply comedic tone to this story. Ripley can be fun, but never comedic. Relief moments in Ripley's stories usually come with arts, good life, and stylishness. If your wish is to penetrate Mr. Ripley's mind, one of the most unique characters in the literary world, watch "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Ripley's Game" instead.

Filmed back in 2004, but left on the shelf for 3 years, 'Ripley Under Ground' aka 'White On White' has been released on DVD in Europe.

Barry Pepper plays Ripley as something of a low-key rock-star - long hair, a close shave and charisma to burn – and the tone of the thing is far lighter than any of the previous incarnations - 'Purple Noon' ,'The American Friend', 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', 'Ripley's Game', etc.

Some early reviewers have referred to it as a 'comedy', but it's not, really. Unfortunately, the lighter tone actually hurts the film a bit, because this outing paints Mr. Ripley as less of a menace and sociopath than any of the Ripley films that have preceded it.

This interpretation apparently sprang from a comment that Ms. Highsmith made about the films adapted of her novels: She apparently felt that the films missed the humor of her character and the droll wit of her dark plots. But the humor in this effort tends to undermines the suspense.

Beside having freed Mr. Pepper from the short-haired grunt roles that he usually plays, the film really allows Alan Cumming and Claire Forlani to shine in ways that they usually aren't allowed to when they are shoe-horned into American accents. She is officially excused from having participated in 'Meet Joe Black'.

It's a good, but not great film. The delight was seeing Barry Pepper stretch-out in the kind of role he's seldom given.

I typically enjoy the Ripley films and novels for their psychopathy, but this was different enough to be enjoyable. If you come across it on cable or the Shanghai bootleg carrels try not to overlook it.

*** out of *****

I was able to see a screening of White on White (which was called Ripley's Art) and was greatly surprised. Going into the film, I was thinking that it would be a very dark, serious film. However, the film is nothing like the first. This is much more of a dark comedy with some mystery aspects. If you liked the first film because it was so dark, then you probably will not like this film. Good performances from all the actors, but some of the lines were a little corny.

Overall, I enjoyed the film, but many of the people at the screening said they did not enjoy it.

Highsmith 's excellent thriller -which is the follow-up to "the talented Mr Ripley" -has undergone some changes:in the book ,Tom was the owner of the desirable Belle Ombre château (he bought with Dickie Greenleaf's money ,;his victim's cousin appears in this episode ) and the happy husband of rich French heiress Héloise who has not got a single clue about her criminal husband's activities .

The screenwriters kept the proper nouns and a vague screenplay ,added some hot sex scenes, and produced a movie too hurried for comfort ; besides ,Barry Pepper is the worst Ripley I've ever seen (he's got top-notch competition :Alain Delon, Dennis Hopper ,Matt Damon and John Malkovich,and he 's not up to scratch) ,lacking charisma and giving a johnny-one-note performance ,displaying nothing of Highsmith's complex hero .When Willem Dafoe,easily the best actor of the cast ,appears ,one cannot help but wonder what this cerebral thespian could have made with the part of Ripley .Highsmith 's story was slow-moving,but inexorably building the suspense ; the movie multiplies the coincidences,the implausibilities at such a speed it's difficult to follow the plot if you don't know the novel ; it's no longer a psychological drama, it's an action-packed flick ,like so many others , sometimes verging on horror ....entertaining at best ,but Highsmith's buffs will fatally be disappointed .

French François Marthouret appears as Héloise 's daddy ,perhaps only to justify the would be cynical ending.

I randomly watched the movie in the TV,having no idea what i was going to see. Not bad but pretty fake at some point but even with the the cliché' of trying to be unpredictable,i enjoyed it.Tom Ripley with his friends are trying to hide the death of their talented painter-artist friend and make money out of his name pretending that he is alive but this isn't an easy job to do,Tom Ripley in his try to not be revealed is willing to do anything.....It is an average movie but it keeps your interest to watch it till the end,Barry Pepper's (Tom Ripley)acting was good and Claire Forlani(Cynthia) was the hottest in the movie,i enjoyed her sexy scenes and dialogs the most.So just fine to watch it but yet there is anything great to remember from the movie