The Best Matt Damon Thriller Isn’t A Bourne Movie
Aside from Good Will Hunting, Matt Damon’s best film is probably The Talented Mr. Ripley. I’m a fan, so perhaps I’m biased. I believe Matt Damon is a good actor who makes solid film role choices, but this early lead role in his career showcases just how far Damon can stretch his acting skills.
Matt Damon Is Tom Ripley
Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley in The Talented Mr. Ripley, a psychological thriller that hit theaters in 1999. The film was well received by critics and audiences alike, and also made a ton of money at the box office.
This outcome is likely due to the perfect combination of great acting, great directing, and a great storyline. The movie stars, aside from Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The director and screenwriter, Anthony Minghella, is well-known for his serious and successful films.
It also doesn’t hurt that the movie takes place in beautiful spaces like the canals of Italy and the open ocean.
Just Some Casual Identity Theft To Pass The Time
Matt Damon as Tom is approached in the beginning of The Talented Mr. Ripley by a man named Herbert Greenleaf. Greenleaf is sure Tom went to Princeton with his son, Dickie Greenleaf, and he tells Tom about how Dickie is off living a wild life in Italy. He offers to pay Tom $1,000 to go to Italy and convince Dickie to come home.
Tom agrees and heads out on a first-class ocean liner. While aboard, Tom romances a beautiful, wealthy American, Meredith (Cate Blanchett), and tells her his name is Dickie Greenleaf. When they disembark, they go their separate ways.
Tom Is An Absolute Charmer
Matt Damon is convincingly deceptive as Tom moves onto his next game. Tom finds Dickie and, instead of pleading his father’s case, he befriends Dickie by telling him they went to Princeton together. Dickie is traveling with his girlfriend, an American named Marge (Gwyneth Paltrow) and his close friend, Freddie Miles (Philip Seymour Hoffman).
The three take Tom in like an old friend, except that Freddie almost immediately senses something is off. He is rude to Tom, creating an air of animosity in the group that hangs heavy.
An Overlooked Matt Damon Villain Arc
Dickie begins to suspect something is off when he finds Tom dancing around in Dickie’s clothes, pretending to be him. Tom tries to persuade Dickie to stick around, using secrets he holds about Dickie to guilt-trip him into keeping him in his life, and in his pocket. Matt Damon performs these manipulative, sly scenes so well that you would imagine in these early days that he may just have a career as a bad guy.
It is highly reminiscent of his role in School Ties, so it is no surprise these two films came out around the same time. The Talented Mr. Ripley has him well on his way to villainy.
Stream The Talented Mr. Ripley On Paramount+
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Alas, you’ll have to watch the movie to find out how things turn out for Tom and Dickie. Matt Damon continues to scheme and connive as Tom for the entirety of The Talented Mr. Ripley, and it is a brilliant 139 minutes spent to find out how the cards fall into place when all is said and done. Suffice to say, the movie will stick in your head for a couple of decades after you watch it. It certainly has in mine.
At the time of this writing, you can stream The Talented Mr. Ripley with a subscription to Paramount+.
