With The English Patient, director Anthony Minghella showed a passion for film-making that is all too rare. Many complained that the film was too long, but in my mind, it wasn't. I found it to be a beautiful, old fashioned movie experience. Minghella returns with The Talented Mr. Ripley, a film based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith.

Matt Damon (Good Will Hunting, Rounders) is the shy and reserved Tom Ripley. The story begins when he is paid by a wealthy man to fly to Italy and talk his son (beautifully played by Jude Lawe) into coming back to the states. While there, Damon finds himself rapidly becoming friends with Lawe and his girlfriend (played by Gwyneth Paltrow). Before too long, Lawe becomes distanced towards Damon and thatÕs when the mystery begins.

At times, The Talented Mr. Ripley is very Hitchcockian but at other times, it doesn't know what it wants to be, and therein lies the problem--a surprising lack of focus. It's Matt Damon and Jude Lawe that really hold the film together. Damon is mesmerizing and, at moments, down right chilling. Whenever he gets into a scrape, he desperately tries to improvise himself out of the situation, and Damon pulls the scenes off beautifully. He also displays a kind of loneliness and desperation that seems very real. Jude Lawe on the other hand is the complete opposite. An energetic, and sometimes very selfish playboy who always gets what he wants. Lawe has a tough role here and he pulls it off with flying colors. While watching him strut his stuff, it's easy to see how he makes friends, but at the same time, drives the ones he loves away.

Paltrow is competent but not memorable, mainly because the film really isn't about her character. Minghella tries to boost the intensity in the filmÕs final reel, but it's never quite as suspenseful as it wants to be, and that's mostly because of the lengthy running time. The English Patient needed length to tell it's story but some moments in The Talented Mr. Ripley seem unnecessary.