A sociopath must be charming. He must be able to ingratiate and insinuate himself into a position to be able to successfully complete the grift or con. I like Andrew Scott very much, but his Thomas Ripley is devoid of charm. Scott plays him like a serial killer on the run from the police. You would not trust him for an instant.
The other major problem I have with this incarnation is there is no need whatsoever to film this in detective-noire style. I thought for sure that when Ripley arrived in Italy, and got off the train, the screen would burst into color. Thus, visually contrasting the life he left behind, with his newly-found paradise. Alas, not to be.
Script wise, direction wise, acting wise, it is as dull as dishwater, and moves at the pace of an Italian bureaucrat!
The other major problem I have with this incarnation is there is no need whatsoever to film this in detective-noire style. I thought for sure that when Ripley arrived in Italy, and got off the train, the screen would burst into color. Thus, visually contrasting the life he left behind, with his newly-found paradise. Alas, not to be.
Script wise, direction wise, acting wise, it is as dull as dishwater, and moves at the pace of an Italian bureaucrat!