Ripley's Game (2002)

Based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith (1st ed. 1974).

After having been insulted at a party by his terminally ill host, Ripley decides to play a game with him by suggesting his name to a friend who is in need of an assassin.

The snubbery which Americans notoriously get from Brits provides the point of departure for an interesting development; Ripley, an American living in Italy, intends to teach his offender a lesson through a "game". In what regards the more down-to-earth aspect of the plausibility of specific murder sequences the film falls a little short. Its main focus, however, is the psychological transformations which operate in the two main characters, which is a fascinating process but probably needs a literary medium to be properly fleshed out (I haven't read the novel in question, therefore cannot say whether it accomplishes this task satisfactorily).

Rating: 56