Two films out now continue good work of their directors

"Man on the Moon"

Directed by: Milos Forman

Starring: Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Courtney Love

Rated: R

Besides directing the undisputed classic "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," Milos Forman has done a few other wondrous things. Not the least of these was his presentation of the life of porn magnate Larry Flynt in "The People vs. Larry Flynt." He treads some of the same ground in his latest film, "Man on the Moon," the bio-pic of absurdist "song-and-dance man" (that's a term the subject preferred) Andy Kaufman.

Kaufman made his mark in the early days of "Saturday Night Live" and later became a brief national treasure as Latka Gravas on "Taxi." Kaufman was never one to embrace the adoration of the public at large, and he seemed to do everything in his estimable power to alienate his fans and everyone else. Some people, myself included, loved him all the more. The sheer willpower it took to read from "The Great Gatsby," or profess his newfound religious convictions, to the boos and jeers of his audience, fascinated me to no end.

Kaufman is a big hero of mine, and I've got many of his TV appearances, as well as specials produced after his death, on video. During the holidays I read two biographies about him, including one written by his longtime friend and writing partner Bob Zmuda.

This closeness to the subject may have tainted my view of Forman's film, as I kept wanting the story to go deeper to explain what made Kaufman tick.

Most of the major career points are here: Foreign Man/Latka, incredibly boorish lounge lizard Tony Clifton, the "fight" on ABC's "Fridays" and, of course, the wrestling. From his reign as "Intergender Champion of the World," to the "feud" with Memphis wrestling legend Jerry Lawler, Kaufman's obsession with the most garish of all sports is given fairly deep treatment in "Man on the Moon."

I was always amazed at the people who thought this act, which involved a sport that nearly everyone recognized as a put-on, was real. It really made the whole thing funnier, if even more disquieting.

Forman examines Kaufman's final days, suffering with lung cancer, as well. I'm not a big fan of Jim Carrey, but he does a credible job as Kaufman. The more serious the tone, the better he is. Surprisingly, there are many more sad moments in "Man on the Moon" than outright hilarious ones. Fans of the comedian will be disappointed in the lack of depth in some of the scenarios, but the public at large may gain a bit of insight into the most original comedian to ever rile an audience to lynch-mob mentality.

"The Talented Mr. Ripley"

Directed by: Anthony Minghella

Starring: Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Rated: R

Writer and director Anthony Minghella wowed audiences in 1996 with his epic treatment of the novel "The English Patient." Before that, in 1991, he gave us one of the most original films of the decade, the much overlooked "Truly Madly Deeply." Seek this out on video when you're stumped for something to watch.

With his latest film, "The Talented Mr. Ripley," Minghella falls closer to his latter work, although not to such epic (meaning long) proportions. "Ripley" is a taut story (written for the screen by Minghella, based on the novel by Patricia Highsmith) that unfolds like a modern rendition of classic Alfred Hitchcock.

Ripley's character is the subject of five novels, and Highsmith's first book became Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train."

While there isn't a whole lot of utter surprise here, watching the situations unfold makes for some true seat squirming.

Matt Damon plays Tom Ripley, who passes himself off as a former Princeton student, quite by accident, to a wealthy industrialist.

This guy's son, who Tom professes to know from school, is squandering his life and a great deal of money in Italy. He lives with an aspiring writer and is infatuated with jazz.

Pop convinces young Ripley to go to Italy and talk some sense into his son. Because the mission involves a healthy stipend, Tom is more than happy to oblige. He observes the young man and his lady friend, studies their habits and insinuates himself into their lives.

As any habitual liar can probably tell you, things can quickly become complicated when living a mostly false existence. Such is the case with the talented Tom. He manages to keep the balls in the air a lot longer than someone of lesser practice, but when things begin to fall apart, they really fall apart.

I enjoyed "The Talented Mr. Ripley" quite a bit; and it is a well-written, -directed and -acted film, one that will surely please critics and audiences.

(Jim Wunderle works at Associated Video Producers and is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.)