Nikki Chatelain

I have never seen the Minghella film and never read the book; going into the series, I only knew Ripley was a con man. The first two episodes were incredibly bland because nothing happened and everyone seemed bored and cagey; had things not gotten more interesting in the third episode, I wouldn't have finished the series. What I found most interesting is that no one in the series seems even slightly happy. A bunch of spoiled rich adults who don't work lounging around Italy, Christmasing in Cortina - why are they so morose and dimensionless? Additionally, the fact that Tom outsmarted them all so easily makes the supporting characters seem incredibly stupid; the fact that Ravini doesn't even recognize "Dickie's" voice when he interviews Tom is almost as laughable as that horrible disguise Tom wears. Then, Marge does a complete 180 and stays with Tom in Venice when she could barely tolerate his presence previously. I found it incredibly hard to believe and it was difficult to stay engaged. I wouldn't recommend or rewatch it; however, I will say that the black and white was used beautifully.