RIPLEY - Monochrome Series- Netflix

This has a five star review in today's Guardian so I need to renew my Netflix sub:

www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2024/apr/04/ripley-review-andrew-scott-is-absolutely-spellbinding

Last week, I watched Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers. He really is a superb actor so I am looking forward to seeing him as Tom Ripley and to see whether the story has been brought up to date. I love Highsmith's writing but the Ripley novels are very dated. With modern forensics he'd never get away with it!

This does sound good, doesn't it?

It’s so beautiful- a slow 🔥 yes, but like Ripley- maybe I need therapy 😀

Is it different from the original? The talented Mr Ripley.

Nothing will beat The Talented Mr Mr Ripley for me. The film that is.
Which uses PR 5 books and rolls it into one film.
I still might watch it though.

Johnny Flynn is in a remake for tv, is it this one?

Just looked it up for those who are interested, yes he is.
I will defo watch it in that case.
But I shall have to steel myself not to compare 😄

It’s not the Talented Mr Ripley - I think it’s better IMO

Damn! I had Netflix via my son, but the account holder can't do that family and friends thing anymore. Having just signed up to Apple tv and already having Prime I don't want another subscription, which is a shame I love Andrew Scott, even if he is playing a bad lot.

A reworking of The Talented Mr Ripley, shot in monochrome I believe, I've read some favourable reviews, I did like the film with Jude Law and Matt Damon.

I havent watched The Talented Mr Ripley - should I watch that one before the Netflix one?

Up late this morning after watching all eight episodes until 4:00 am. This is a brilliant working of the first Highsmith novel - and very different from The Talented Mr Ripley that starred Matt Damon and Jude Law as Tom Ripley and Dickie Greenleaf.

If you like film noir, atmospheric Italian scenery, the beautiful language and dramatic art, this has it all and the mesmerising Andrew Scott as Ripley. In black and white, he reminded me, at times, of Dirk Bogarde in some of his darker films.

Some excellent character parts including Eliot Sumner (child of musican Sting and actress Trudie Styler) as Freddie Miles and Maurizio Lombardi as Inspector Ravini.

Like the novels, suspension of disbelief is necessary in parts - some scenes are reminiscent of Clouseau (or Montalbano) - but on the whole it is, literally, deadly serious.

The brief appearances of John Malkovich as forger Reeves Minot is a clue that there might be an adaptation of the second book - Ripley Under Ground. On Netflix is says that, given the opportunity, writer and director Steven Zaillian would love to continue to adapt the stories.

Desdemona

I havent watched The Talented Mr Ripley - should I watch that one before the Netflix one?

Watch the new Nflix one first.
I just prefer Anthony Mingella screen play and directing.
This one does look very good.

Very poor review in The Telegraph.
Shan't watch it, but it has made me download the book onto my Kindle.

I started watching this yesterday...in my opinion it's much better than the film although I will confess that I'm a massive Andrew Scott fan.
I think he's an absolutely wonderful actor.
He's in a new adaption of 1984... audio book with Andrew Garfield (another actor I rate), heard a clip earlier and again, it's very, very good.

Funnily enough BlueSapphire, as much as PH is revered, I didn't care much for the books.
There is too much left to chance in the plot lines. Which gets more or less remedied in the tv and film version.

I'm enjoying the Nf version.

The Ripley series is a book that I've actually read but long ago and I can't remember any of the opinions I had at the time about characters , plot, motivations etc. I do remember the Matt Damon(who I thought was excellent) film with its first class cast including the late lamented Phillip Seymour Hoffman playing the obnoxious Freddie.Gwynnie and Jude Law also deserved credit.
Full disclosure I'm also a massive Andrew Scott fan.
I appreciate that this is a re-working but the first thing that struck me was that Scott was too old for this role as is the actor playing Dickie who shouldn't be bossed by his Dad in early middle age , surely.
The black and white treatment is growing on me although I didn't like that at first. I watched episode 3 last night and it was an improvement: Dickie's murder was as brutal as the original possibly more so though with less personal provocation than the Damon film showed.
Still not sure that Andrew Scott is right in this role: he seems strained and distant and not friendly enough to ingratiate himself as was necessary for the plot.Thinking aloud there is more immediate avarice in Scott's Ripley and less of a slow seduction by a glamorous lifestyle.
It's good enough not to give up.

The portrayal of the character Freddie is for me the one weakness in the Netflix drama. His dress, style and manner make him too much of a caricature. Otherwise I think it’s a wonderful production, and a credit to Netflix.

Absolutely exactly my thoughts too Delila I felt the actor had been shoehorned into the character for one reason or another.

I was so disappointed with the depiction of Freddie that I looked up who the actor was. It's Sting's daughter Eliot sorry I've forgotten her surname.

I don't think she did her cv any good. I'm surprised she was picked.
Why did they dress her in over sized clothes? She looked like a child dressing up in their parents clothing.

Oh! I didn’t know that, but I did think it might be a woman! Thanks Namsnanny, how interesting. That explains my response to that character I think.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I didn't see the original film or read the book so can't do a comparison. That's probably a good thing. It really is very slow but by episode 3 I found the pace very much enhances the story. The setting in mostly ancient parts of Italy, filmed entirely in black and white was very enjoyable to me. I do agree though that the ages of the actors are a bit too old for the characters. It didn't spoil anything for me though. I really loved it.

Loved it ! Binged watched all the episodes .

I like the fact that some scenes have very little dialogue.

I’m just watching the original The Talented Mr Ripley which I much prefer.
I haven’t enjoyed the black and white rather creepy Ripley nearly as much.

When I say “creepy”, I mean the way Andrew Scott plays Ripley somewhat sinister and creepy. To me he doesn’t seem right for the part.