Review: Plein Soleil
Plein Soleil out on DVD/Blu-Ray
Based on Patricia Highsmith’s classic novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, Plein Soleil follows the story of a glamorous psychopath who manages to live the high life by imitating the people he has killed. Originally released in 1960, the film has recently been digitally restored and produced by Studiocanal in association with the Cinémathique Française.
Tom Ripley, played by Alain Delon, is the cold-hearted protagonist who disposes of his friend Philip Greenleaf and proceeds to step into his shoes, both literally and metaphorically. Along the way he encounters various setbacks, including the appearance of Freddy, a mutual friend who becomes suspicious after seeing Ripley wearing Greenleaf’s pyjamas.
It’s very much a Sunday afternoon film; a classic sit-back-and-relax movie with a wonderfully old-school soundtrack. Quite how a story about a psychopath can be relaxing, I’m not sure, but Plein Soleil manages it. It’s in French and Italian, but subtitles are available in English or German. The perfect film to accompany a large glass of wine and an evening of relaxation, Plein Soleil is in cinema on the 30th August 2013 and comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray on the 16th September 2013.