Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, a man whose only real talent is his ability to imitate others. When Tom meets Dickie Greenleaf (Jude Law), a rich playboy who is living in Italy to escape his father, he falls in love and becomes completely obsessed with him -to the point of becoming homicidal. Don't look for action, though; the film is really character-driven. But the characters are so multi-dimensional and the dialogue is well written that I didn't want it to end. Gweneth Paltrow and Philip Seymour Hoffman both have good supporting roles as Dickie's girlfriend and friend, respectively. Just about everyone should get Oscar noms, especially Damon and Law for this one. The setting, mostly southern Italy in the 50's, is also breathtaking. Don't miss this film -it'll have you exiting the theatre with chills.

In the great tradition of the best of the Alfred Hitchcock films, this one is so good that it could easily have been directed by the master himself, instead of by Anthony Minghella, who gave us that pompous bore, "The English Patient." The star of the film is Italy, followed by Matt Damon(in a risky performance that proves that he really CAN act,) Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett and Philip Seymour Hoffman(who seems to be in every other film this year!) To say anything more than that, is to risk giving away the twists and turns of this finely written mystery thriller. Although this story has been filmed before(e.g., "Purple Noon," etc.) this film is the only one that is faithful to the Patricia Highsmith novel. The plot is ingenious, but you WILL guess the ending. It doesn't matter; it's the trip TO the ending that really counts.