David Minear

Closer to the 1960 French film Plein Soleil (Purple Noon), Ripley is subtle and extremely entertaining. The brilliant cast reinterprets each character while keeping true to the story. Filmed in black and white, the facial closeups are stunning as they reveal every shadow and pore adding to the film’s sinister noir quality. Well-scored and with ample humor, this is a great Ripley. Don’t miss it.

The writing is flawed with too many story arcs that each have to be played out resulting in slow-paced episodes. I think they were aiming for “Lost” or “Fringe,” but Season 1 was a miss. The final episode cliffhanger used every possible gimmick — I won’t mention details since they would be spoilers — but they really need to tighten up the writing in Season 2. Elizabeth Marvel is a heavyweight who will really challenge the other actors. She’s a good choice.

Excellent, moving story with strong performances by an amazing cast. Occasionally drawing on Jewish stereotypes for comic effect, the story depicts Jewish tradition as a source of support and strength. Reminiscent of Kramer vs. Kramer (1979), the gut-wrenching story of mid-life crises and broken-family trauma tells itself. So, character Libby’s narration can be both illuminating and superfluous. Eisenberg’s Toby is as real as it gets. Child actor Gross’ Hannah gives a performance that will be hard for her to top. And if just a dash of Clare Danes can add so much, the story leaves one wanting to see much more of her. Maybe a sequel? I hope we’re not done with Fleishman.