Ripley - starts today on Netflix. Anyone fancy a discussion thread?

[Netaporter]

Based upon the book ‘The talented mr ripley’ by Patricia Highsmith Andrew Scott stars in this adaptation. It is filmed in B&W so interested to see how this differs from the glorious film starring Gwyneth, Jude and Matt Damon.

Going to start episode 1 later this morning.

@PuppyMonkey join in here!

I've just checked and Andrew Scott is 47!

47!

Tom should be half his age maybe. Being a few years older is one thing, but this is silly, especially when set in a time when people aged more quickly than they do now.

For anyone interested, the book is 99p on Kindle currently

Unfortunately couldn't get into it :( watched 1st episode and part of 2nd but then gave up. Haven't seen the film or read the book to compare

I'm watching it but not really enjoying it - why is it black and white? PP suggested maybe to reflect the darkness at the heart of the story? However that would be a bit basic in a way. True darkness contrasted with glorious Italian colour à la original film was more effective. Of course I can't get away from the memory of the original film because it was sublime - so well cast! Agree AS too old. DG not good looking enough. Jude Law was dazzling. However I've not read the book. Perhaps DG was not meant to be as beautiful as JL anyway - I don't know.

I’ve watched two episodes and I liked it. But, I have always loved the film so it helped to have that as a point of reference otherwise I probably wouldn’t have stuck with it.

I’ve never understood the allure of AS and agree with others, he is way too old and has such a sinister vibe that I don’t think works. Matt Damon played him with such a lighter touch. Dickie is like a grizzled old man not the bronzed beauty of Jude. They all seem so old and miserable, Matt, Jude and Gwyneth all had such joy in their performances.

I hate to keep comparing it to the film, but the Freddy character - I get that PSH is a tough act to follow - but at least get someone who can act!

Anyway, it is interesting and I love the photography, but it has just made me realise how wonderful the original film was.

It’s like a depressing version of the original. I need to stop comparing!

I’ve watched two now & I’m enjoying it for what it is. Totally agree casting for film was better.
At times Andrew Scott seems to be overplaying the sinister element to his character. At other times (e.g. when appraising Dickie Greenleaf’s paintings) he seems as though he’s sharing a private joke with the audience.
As an aside I never find Lucy Mangan’s reviews reliable. In general I find her over generous in terms of awarding stars. I loved her as a columnist but don’t rate her as a reviewer.

I’ve watched one episode. I hope I stick with it as I found it rather gloomy and dull.

Andrew Scott is far too old to be Tom Ripley.

The Minghella film was so perfectly cast and shot (imo), it’s hard to not compare.

Just been talking to DH about this - we watched the first two last night - and agreeing with so much that’s already been said on this thread:

Actors too old for these roles - we need to believe in that hedonistic Fitzgerald/Hemingway vibe of the ‘lost generation’ idling their youth away on the continent because they have nothing else to do. Not sad middle-aged men! And I’m sorry but Marge looks like a slightly harassed housewife who’s wondering what she forgot to put on her Tesco order.

The lack of colour - there was one view of the sea where I was just aching for colour - could see it was sparkling but had to imagine the beauty of it.

Freddie. I hate stunt casting at the best of times and I hate being treated as if I’m stupid. Don’t treat me like the people in The Emperor’s New Clothes by asking me to pretend that I can’t see that Freddie - for no plot-related reason that I can see - is being played by a thirty year old woman who can’t act.

The awfulness of Dickie’s paintings did make me laugh though.

I agree about Marge - where’s the glamour?

Dickie and Marge are like two crusty New Age travellers in Thailand, they should be wearing tie dye smocks. When Tom met them on the beach - they were the only ones there! Is it filmed in Autumn do you think? The maid was wearing a coat to go to the market.

I nearly turned off in protest at the terrible casting of Freddie. No need for that.

On a completely unrelated note, I read that Motherland has been cancelled because it’s “heteronormative”.

Don't talk about the ending!
I'm loving it. I can only just about remember the film. I agree the actors are too old, and don't understand how the father thought Ripley knew his son in the first place. And it is slow - all that con artist stuff in the beginning took ages. But it's quite French in that way I think? Lots of long slow shots.
OMG all those stairs!

Can anyone explain how the father thought Tom was Dicky’s friend in NY, or is it revealed at the end? It was so easily explained in the film with the piano recital and borrowed jacket.

I didn't really get it either. Apparently Greenleaf thought Tom was a 'friend of Dicky's' and he was contacting him because Dicky's other friends didn't want to go out to Italy. We did see him being given Greenleaf's business card, but not sure how he was put in touch with him.

It was another plot point made incongruous by Andrew Scott's age. Also, it was hard to picture him as a member of the Ivy League elite.

Same here. I can take or leave Andrew Scott but will watch Johnny Flynn in more or less anything.

I’ve just finished it and loved every second. It is so beautifully shot and I agree with the purists that photography (literally the study of light) doesn’t work in colour.

I'm watching it and it seems good but why the hell is it in black and white?

A lot of people surely won't bother to watch something in black and white. I sort of get what they're trying to do but it doesn't really work. They could have just made parts of it in B&W

I wanted to love it, but find it really boring. I loved the film, and found the beautiful shots of Italy really transporting, the black and white has removed that pleasure. I also don't really like the casting either. Would much rather just watch the film again.

On episode 5 now. Really irritating me. How would Tom fall for the lifestyle when Dickie and Marge are so dull and miserable? No conversation and no sparkle. Everything feels awkward and slow.
Freddie the bad actor woman (Elliott Sumner) is the worst of all though. I think all Sting and Trudie’s kids are actors. So annoying that talented people are passed over for the sake of these nepobabies.

I've just finished it and thought it was excellent. Loved the black and white. I agree that some of the casting was a bit odd (especially the Freddie character) and I think it works best if you don't compare it too much with the film.
Loved all the stair references, the cat, the dark humour around how to deal with bodies, and the ending.

I just finished it. Liked the last episode. Bit more humour and enjoyed John Malkovich cameo a lot.

I'm going to watch the film now 😁

Patricia Highsmith wrote other books with Ripley as the protagonist.

We need the sunlight-drenched jeunesse doree hedonism as a contrast to Tom’s darkness and as a reminder how the rich are impertinently enjoying our money and that they deserve Tom. It’s missing.

Marge is boot-faced.

Boot faced 😆

Love the cinematography but really struggling with the casting. I much preferred the way Matt Damon played Ripley. AS just seems too obviously 'knowing' from the outset. Matt plays the character as more 'innocent' so other people see him as non threatening. AS looks dodgy from the start.

Johnny Flynn is just awful as Dickie. Really wooden and just seems to fail to portray the joie de vivre Jude Law brought to the character.

Dakota Fanning again very wooden and there seems to be no interaction between her and Dickie. They play ias 2 separate entities.

Having said that only on episode 2 and the film is one of my all time favourites.

I am two episodes in. I will continue watching it, but it definitely doesn't compare to young and beautiful Jude and Gwyneth on the colourful sun-kissed Italian coast. Dickie and Marge just aren't sparkly enough in my opinion, and definitely too old. Surely at this age Dickie's dad would have either given up or done something earlier?