Ripley's Game (film)
| Ripley's Game | |
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Theatrical release poster
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| Directed by | Liliana Cavani |
| Produced by | Simon Bosanquet Ricardo Tozzi Ileen Maisel |
| Screenplay by |
Charles McKeown Liliana Cavani |
| Based on |
Ripley's Game by Patricia Highsmith |
| Starring |
John Malkovich Dougray Scott Ray Winstone Lena Headey |
| Music by | Ennio Morricone |
| Cinematography | Alfio Contini |
| Edited by | Jon Harris |
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Production
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| Distributed by | 01 Distribuzione (Italy) Entertainment Film Distributors (UK) Fine Line Features (US) |
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Release date
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Running time
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110 minutes |
| Country | Italy United Kingdom United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US$30 million |
Ripley's Game is a 2002 thriller film directed by Liliana Cavani. It is adapted from the 1974 novel of the same name, the third in Patricia Highsmith's "Ripliad", a series of books chronicling the murderous adventures of con artist Tom Ripley. John Malkovich stars as Ripley, opposite Dougray Scott and Ray Winstone. Highsmith's novel was previously adapted in 1977 as The American Friend by director Wim Wenders, starring Dennis Hopper and Bruno Ganz.
Tom Ripley is involved in an art scam in Berlin, partnered with Reeves, a thuggish British gangster whom he orders to remain out on the street as the deal takes place. A violent argument breaks out in which Ripley kills one of his "customers". He gives the money to Reeves but keeps the artwork for himself, curtly informing Reeves that their partnership is over.
Three years later, Ripley is extremely wealthy, living in a lush villa in Veneto with his wife Luisa, a beautiful harpsichordist. Invited by a neighbor to a party, Ripley has a pleasant time until he overhears the host, Jonathan Trevanny, insulting his taste and making a guarded reference to his questionable past. Ripley briefly confronts him, then sullenly leaves the party.
Reeves resurfaces, much to Ripley's annoyance, asking him to eliminate a rival mobster. Remembering the slight, Ripley recommends that an amateur be hired to do it – Trevanny, a law-abiding art framer who is dying of leukemia. Reeves offers a bewildered Trevanny the job. He turns it down at first, but can't resist the money, which he could leave to his wife, Sarah, and son, Matthew, upon his death.
Trevanny goes through with the job, a hit in Berlin, which he assumes will be a one-time-only assignment. Reeves has other ideas, however; he blackmails Trevanny into taking on another assassination, this time a much more complicated one on a train.
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Wikipedia