Sometimes I think Dave and I are almost always on the same page, and then I read his reviews.
Dave: They call him the talented Mister Ripley but really, what is his talent? Picking out tacky furniture? Playing passable piano? Doing funny voices and drinking too much? Mister Ripley, meet several of my gay friends in the 2000s; you aren’t special. In all seriousness, the film is still suspenseful, the casting is great - all the leads (with the possible exception of Matt Damon) have very classic Hollywood good looks. The scenery and the clothing are brilliant and decadent. And the plot is harrowing and disturbing, though the tortured queer serial killer subplot is made even more disturbing because it hasn’t aged terribly well. Still, it made for a fun evening. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
This popcorn was partly a “use what’s in our pantry before we move to a new apartment” recipe, and was also inspired by a NYT cookie recipe that seems to have taken the foodie internet by storm. I riffed this recipe off the NYT recipe, estimating proportions. I’m not sure if I got it right, but the result was…well, it was odd. The sweet caramel and spicy gochujang seemed to cancel each other out, so you only got a hint of spice and a hint of sweet, along with a kick of bitter. Maybe this is better in cookies? I hope it is, because the popcorn was a bit underwhelming. (️️️⭐️⭐️⭐️)
Joe: According to my collection of theater tickets, I saw The Talented Mr. Ripley on January 8, 2000 for the low matinee price of $4.75. Although I remember precisely zero of the plot points, I do remember feeling underwhelmed by the film. Of course, I was also 22 years old and entering the second semester of my first year teaching, which is absolutely insane to me. I was very much dumb and naïve, because this movie is fantastic. Taut and tense with expert acting from all four of the principal leads, the film ratchets up tension with a slow burn that's almost unbearable. The Italian countryside is a nifty foil for such a dark film, and Damon's intensity as Ripley should have earned him, at the very least, an Oscar nod. Cate Blanchett could butter toast for two hours and still deserve an Oscar - my god, is there any role she doesn't imbue with an unearthly presence? Anyway, this was a terrific film and I really want to read the Patricia Highsmith novel now. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️12)
Dave wasn't quite sure if this popcorn fit in the savory or sweet category, so I'm plopping it into both. It strikes that wonderful balance in many east asian cuisine between spicy and sweet, a combination that always makes my tastebuds sing. The caramel is a particularly terrific vehicle for the tang of gochujang, and we had finished the bowl before Tom had even [redacted]. (⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2)
Popcorn recipe from: Dave Lewis. 💅🏻
The Talented Mr. Ripley on IMDB.
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