The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Anthony Minghella, based on Patricia Highsmith's 1955 novel. Set in the 1950s, it stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, a con artist who is sent from New York City to Italy to convince Dickie Greenleaf, a rich and spoiled playboy, to return home. However, Dickie is not easily swayed, and Ripley becomes dangerously attached to him and his lifestyle. Gwyneth Paltrow, Cate Blanchett, and Philip Seymour Hoffman also appear in supporting roles. This film was released forty years after the adaptation that had been made in 1960, Purple Noon by René Clément with Alain Delon, Maurice Ronet and Marie Laforêt.