Ripley Under Ground

2005
6| 1h41m| en
Details

After his friend, a hot young artist, is killed, a resourceful American man living in London covers up the crime and tries to keep the friend's name alive in order to exploit his legacy and reap millions in the process.

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Reviews

UnowPriceless hyped garbage
Kailansorac Clever, believable, and super fun to watch. It totally has replay value.
AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.
Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.
adamcarter-63372 This movie has all the ingredients to be a compelling movie. It has a great cast, good director, and the co-writer of The Bourne Identity. However, the movie doesn't explore it's themes and characters enough. It doesn't make full use of its interesting premise. The whole thing wasn't utilized. The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) was a fascinating thriller/drama with a fascinating performance from Matt Damon and many compelling themes. Tom Ripley is a complex character and his books/films need depth. However, if you are able to get over that, this film is entertaining. Just don't expect anything great.
Enchorde Recap: Tom Ripley is struggling to get by as a actor in London. However, as his credentials are discovered as fake and he is kicked out. But his friend, Derwatt, a painter, has just made it big. But Derwatt's proposal goes wrong and Derwatt kills himself. His friends, all in need of money, decides that it would be best if Derwatt was still alive and sold his paintings. Or better yet, still produced new paintings. So they hide the body and starts an elaborate plot to keep Derwatt hidden, but alive. But a lie needs a lie to cover it up. And soon events spin out of control.Comments: It is unfortunately too clear that this is a (second) sequel that has lost budget and quality. The few effects are simply not good enough, but what is worse is that the story is not really believable or engaging. It's a little over the top, too many accidents or random events are just too convenient to Ripley and his games. And what might be the worst, Tom Ripley is hard to sympathize with. He lacks finesse and ingenuity, instead his answer are violence and murder to keep his lies covered up. It is not about false identities or a psychological game of hide and seek. It's a murder story gone wrong.And when you lose interest in the lead characters, the movie is normally in deep trouble. This is, which is unfortunate because I like the cast. Barry Pepper, Alan Cumming, Claire Forlani, Tom Wilkinson and Willem Defoe is all good and talented actors. Most of them normally do much better productions than this.5/10
jotix100 The theory that a dead painter's work will increase the value of his pictures, is at the center of the story. Contrary to what we might have thought, young star Derwatt, a man who seems to have arrived in the world of art in London, does not quite rate as having the clout to push prices up if he is not around anymore. Derwatt, who loves to drive at high speeds suffers a fatal accident right after his adoring fans have bought all his paintings.Tom Ripley, who is now living in London, shows no means of earning an income and faces eviction from his apartment. He runs with an arty crowd, that includes Derwatt, Bernard, an undiscovered, but talented painter on his own, gallery owner, Jeff Constant, and Cinthia, who seems to be a groupie into that scene. All of them have witnessed the accident and decide to have Bernard produce canvas as though they were Derwatt's ; after all, the guy can certainly imitate his friend's style to almost perfection.Enter Neil Murchisson, a collector of Derwatt's paintings. He has come to buy more for the museum in Ohio he represents. Since all the production is sold, Ripley and his friends decide to press Bernard into creating a few pictures imitating Derwatt. Murchisson, who insists in buying the next batch of pictures, pushes a check into Jeff's hands, who in turn is convinced by Tom Ripley to continue the charade, knowing no one will find out the deceit.Ripley, who has met the gorgeous Heloise Plisson at the opening, decides to follow her to France. Ripley, who comes into some money after the phony Derwatt's come into the market, decides he wants Heloise for himself. He is amazed by what he finds when he gets to France. Heloise, not only is gorgeous, but also she is immensely rich. Her father, who sees right through his daughter's friend, is powerless because the young woman is smitten from the start with Ripley, the gold digger."Ripley Under Ground", adapted from a Patricia Highsmith's novel, and directed by Roger Spottisgoode, doesn't quite have the punch that other, more successful films based on this character had achieved, most notably, in Rene Clement's "Purple Noon", and in Liliana Cavani's "Ripley's Game". Those earlier films have powerful and charismatic actors, Alain Delon, and John Malkovich, in the central role. Barry Pepper, an otherwise excellent actor, does what he can with his Tom Ripley, but doesn't quite pull it. "Ripley Under Ground" is by no means horrible, but it could have been better.The basic problem with the screenplay by W. Blake Herron and Donald Westlake, is that it never settles into either a crime story, or an Euro-thriller. The best thing in the film is the ensemble cast that was gathered for it. Alan Cumming does quite well with the straight part, of the ambitious art dealer. Jacinta Barrett plays Heloise with charm. Claire Forlini, Douglas Henshall, Tom Wilkinson, and Ian Hart do good work for the director. Willem Dafoe appears as the American art lover who falls prey to the ambitions of these assorted group under the guidance of Tom Ripley.There is an ironic twist at the conclusion of the film, which comes quite unexpectedly, but we had already sensed was a possibility.
rogersrj 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.