The
Talented Mr. Ripley (1999)
This film should put to rest those rumors and the speculation
that Matt Damon is gay. "The Talent Mr. Ripley" is such
an ugly, distasteful and repulsive anti-gay epic that
if Mr. Damon is queer, he is the proverbial self-hating
fag. No inveterate, mentally stable and proud gay man
would come within an inch of this film. It joins a long
and dis-illustrious list of movies which equates repressed
homosexuality with homicidal tendencies. If Mr. Damon
is proud of this work, he should be barred from every
gay male's "romantic" fantasies. He is a wolf in sheep's
clothing.
It's too bad that it ends up this way too because the
film has a distinguished beginning. The opening moments
here include the most interesting and most creative
credits sequence to be screened since David Fincher's
"se7en." Director Anthony Minghella seems unafraid to
use the graphics here to give the picture a flair and
an intrigue. It just looks great.
The first 40 minutes of the film is a masterpiece.
The chemistry between Damon, Jude Law and Gwenyth Paltrow,
filmed with wonderful style and an eye to opulence by
Minghella, is crisp and engaging. We like these characters
and we want to see what happens to them. Then the film
begins to have it's heavy-handed homosexual overtones.
Minghella seems to salivate behind the camera at the
youthful sheen on the male form in his lens. This might
work with one fatal flaw: We already know Damon's Ripley
is going to be a bad, bad person. Making him gay just
sends a horrible, dated, stereotypical and repulsively
non-politically correct message.
Worse than that, the film just drags and drags. It
goes on for fucking ever. And you never ever once care
what happens. You cease liking any of the characters
after about 30 minutes. And the end, when it finally
comes... Well, it's no end at all. Just more self-hating
fag stuff. Repulsive. Degrading. Monstrous. Joyless.
Bile.
Aren't Minghella, Damon and Law all gay? This is a
rhetorical question. It's obvious they are. They should
hang their heads in shame for creating this atrocity,
this "film." I hope each one of their boyfriends leaves
them in disgust.
I spit on this film. Ptwooie.
Notes:
Also with Phillip Seymour Hoffman (another closet
case who should be ashamed), Jack Davenport (who has
the distasteful duty of being the homicidal Ripley's
lover and victim), Cate Blanchett, James Rebhorn, Phillip
Baker Hall, Celia Weston.
Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (should have
known a woman would equate homosexuality with death).
Filmed previously as "Plein soleil" by Rene Clement
in 1960.
Working title: "The Strange Mr. Ripley." This was
probably deemed "too offensive" at some point.
Nominated for several Golden Globes. I will carry
the picket sign if you pay my airfare.
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