Ripley Under Ground (2005)

This is very good thriller. I like very much black humor what make film in second level.I'm always like Patricia Highsmith novel, but it's very hard make movie because filmmaker not always understand the humor what Patricia make in charactersBut this films understand that very well. CAST is PERFECT!Barry Pepper is a good Tom Ripley!Claire Forlani and Alan Cumming acting travesty in art people. it's very funny

Recap: Tom Ripley is struggling to get by as a actor in London. However, as his credentials are discovered as fake and he is kicked out. But his friend, Derwatt, a painter, has just made it big. But Derwatt's proposal goes wrong and Derwatt kills himself. His friends, all in need of money, decides that it would be best if Derwatt was still alive and sold his paintings. Or better yet, still produced new paintings. So they hide the body and starts an elaborate plot to keep Derwatt hidden, but alive. But a lie needs a lie to cover it up. And soon events spin out of control.Comments: It is unfortunately too clear that this is a (second) sequel that has lost budget and quality. The few effects are simply not good enough, but what is worse is that the story is not really believable or engaging. It's a little over the top, too many accidents or random events are just too convenient to Ripley and his games. And what might be the worst, Tom Ripley is hard to sympathize with. He lacks finesse and ingenuity, instead his answer are violence and murder to keep his lies covered up. It is not about false identities or a psychological game of hide and seek. It's a murder story gone wrong.And when you lose interest in the lead characters, the movie is normally in deep trouble. This is, which is unfortunate because I like the cast. Barry Pepper, Alan Cumming, Claire Forlani, Tom Wilkinson and Willem Defoe is all good and talented actors. Most of them normally do much better productions than this.5/10

Filmed back in 2004, but left on the shelf for 3 years, 'Ripley Under Ground' aka 'White On White' has been released on DVD in Europe.Barry Pepper plays Ripley as something of a low-key rock-star - long hair, a close shave and charisma to burn – and the tone of the thing is far lighter than any of the previous incarnations - 'Purple Noon' ,'The American Friend', 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', 'Ripley's Game', etc.Some early reviewers have referred to it as a 'comedy', but it's not, really. Unfortunately, the lighter tone actually hurts the film a bit, because this outing paints Mr. Ripley as less of a menace and sociopath than any of the Ripley films that have preceded it.This interpretation apparently sprang from a comment that Ms. Highsmith made about the films adapted of her novels: She apparently felt that the films missed the humor of her character and the droll wit of her dark plots. But the humor in this effort tends to undermines the suspense.Beside having freed Mr. Pepper from the short-haired grunt roles that he usually plays, the film really allows Alan Cumming and Claire Forlani to shine in ways that they usually aren't allowed to when they are shoe-horned into American accents. She is officially excused from having participated in 'Meet Joe Black'.It's a good, but not great film. The delight was seeing Barry Pepper stretch-out in the kind of role he's seldom given.I typically enjoy the Ripley films and novels for their psychopathy, but this was different enough to be enjoyable. If you come across it on cable or the Shanghai bootleg carrels try not to overlook it.*** out of *****

I was able to see a screening of White on White (which was called Ripley's Art) and was greatly surprised. Going into the film, I was thinking that it would be a very dark, serious film. However, the film is nothing like the first. This is much more of a dark comedy with some mystery aspects. If you liked the first film because it was so dark, then you probably will not like this film. Good performances from all the actors, but some of the lines were a little corny.Overall, I enjoyed the film, but many of the people at the screening said they did not enjoy it.