During the pandemic, when we were still married, Alex and I watched a bunch of classic movies, including Goodfellas, West Side Story, The English Patient, and, of course, The Talented Mr. Ripley.
The psychological thriller came out in 1999, right before the careers of Matt Damon, Jude Law, Gwyneth Paltrow, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Cate Blanchett all exploded. What a star-studded cast. The movie — if you haven’t seen it — follows a broke American grifter, Thomas Ripley, who is sent to Italy by a rich American to bring back his spoiled son, Dickie Greenleaf, but (needless to say) the trip does not go according to plan.
All the actors crush it, maybe especially Philip Seymour Hoffman, who is terrifying. (We’ve all known those big unpredictable guys who immediately make you feel on guard, even at a crowded café.) The movie also inspired me to read the riveting 1955 Patricia Highsmith novel. I love an antihero.
Sooooo…good news! Andrew Scott (of hot priest / baby girl fame) plays Ripley in an eight-part Netflix series, premiering April 4th. Johnny Flynn plays Dickie, and Dakota Fanning plays his girlfriend Marge.
Scott does an American accent!
“If Tom Ripley was in a gay bar, I’m not sure that he would fit in there,” Scott told Interview magazine in 2021. “Nor do I think he’s a straight character… I think he’s a queer character, in the sense that he’s very ‘other.’ What’s his relationship with sex, or death, or with family or friends? It’s interesting that a character is the sum of the parts that you don’t have to play.”
Will you be watching? What else are you watching these days? Harper’s Bazaar did a great round-up of the 35 most anticipated new shows of 2024, including Mr. and Mrs. Smith and One Day — TV is coming back, guys!
P.S. Cup of Jo’s ultimate TV guide, and what TV character do you feel like you’re secretly friends with?
