TV Review: "Ripley" is a Gorgeous, but Disappointing, Remake

by Christopher James

Andrew Scott takes on the titular role of Tom Ripley in Steve Zaillian's latest rendition, "Ripley," on Netflix.

There’s something sacred about a favorite movie. Anthony Minghella’s 1999 masterpiece The Talented Mr. Ripley is a seminal film, burned into my brain as canon. Thus, there’s a certain amount of bias that is hard to overcome when judging a remake. It runs the risk of being so close to the original that it is redundant, or swings far enough away that it pales from the original.

The new Netflix limited series Ripley wisely distances itself from other renditions of the Patricia Highsmith novel, primarily through its gorgeous black-and-white cinematography and new approaches to casting. Writer-director Steve Zaillian has a clear, distinct vision of the tale that feels distinct. However, it prioritizes style over substance. Though filled with haunting beauty, this Ripley lacks personality and tension - sexual or otherwise...

Click to read more ...

A Julianne Moore Top Ten

by Cláudio Alves

Mary & George, Starz's new miniseries, premieres today, with a new episode every Friday for the next few weeks. Christopher James recently reviewed the historical drama, detailing its intersection of smut and scheming, all centered around its titular characters during King James I's reign. Hot new thing Nicholas Galitzine plays George Villiers under the camera's lustful gaze, but it's Julianne Moore's Mary who commands the screen as his mother. To honor one of The Film Experience's favorite goddesses on this occasion, I decided to do one of my actress-y top tens, focusing on the Oscar-winner's best performances across a career rich in excellence…

Click to read more ...

Under the Skin @10: A Perfect Opening

by Cláudio Alves

Jonathan Glazer has scarcely left the news cycle since Oscar night. His speech against genocide caused much furor in Hollywood, where accusations of anti-semitism were promptly lobbied against the filmmaker. That said, today's topic isn't that media storm or the director's recent contributions to the Cinema for Gaza campaign. Instead, it's time to honor Glazer's third feature, which celebrates ten years since its US release. Loosely adapted from a Michel Farber novel, Under the Skin follows Scarlett Johansson as she roams the Scottish landscape in search of men. She's an alien creature whose conquests meet a nightmarish demise, and her film is one of last decade's most tremendous cinematic achievements. 

I'd go so far as saying that any "best of the 2010s" list that doesn't include it is highly suspect. Indeed, Under the Skin secured its masterpiece status rather instantly in my eyes, its opening like the protagonist's seduction – impossible to resist even as it plunges you into oblivion…

Click to read more ...

What Director to Rank Next?

by Cláudio Alves

I don't know about you, but I had a lot of fun ranking Hayao Miyazaki's feature filmography. So much so that I feel inspired to do the same with some other beloved auteur. The only issue is deciding which director to rank next. In those write-ups, a commenter suggested David Lynch, so he's on the list of candidates, but there are many more possibilities, storied careers full of fascinating films. Why not put it to a readers' vote and let you choose who you wish to read about? That's exactly what we're doing, and you have ten possibilities to choose from, all of which have works I love and a filmography small enough to be manageable…

Click to read more ...

How Had I Never Seen..."The Wild One" (1953)?

by Cláudio Alves

Today marks the Marlon Brando centennial, and what better way to celebrate than to explore the actor's filmography? In my case, I decided to plunge into one of those iconic pictures that, for some reason, had never crossed my path till today. It's 1953's The Wild One, the prototypical biker film from which many more sprung forth, a crystallization of midcentury rebellion as understood by Hollywood's paramount moralist, Stanley Kramer. He produced it as one of his social issue flicks, taking inspiration from a Harper's Magazine story that was, in itself, based on a series of events that took place in Hollister, California, 1947. Brando plays Johnny Strabler, leader of the Black Rebels Motorcycle Club…

Click to read more ...