Helen Mirren stars as Patricia Highsmith in “A Talent for Murder,” a new literary noir film. The movie, adapted from Joanna Murray-Smith’s play “Switzerland,” follows a young publishing agent, Edward Ridgway (Alden Ehrenreich), who travels to Highsmith’s chalet in the Swiss mountains to persuade her to write another Ripley novel.
The film is described as a psychological cat-and-mouse game, with the narrative expanding to include a fictional story mirroring the potential Ripley book, and a developing relationship between Ridgway and Clementine (Olivia Cooke), a fellow American he meets on a train. The story is set in 1995, weeks before Highsmith’s death. Ridgway’s visit is unwelcome, and the film explores how he attempts to convince the reclusive author to sign a contract.
While praised for its “chic pleasures” and Mirren’s performance, the film is noted as conceptually busy and doesn’t fully coalesce into a complex narrative like a true Highsmith homage. Bleecker Street will release the film on October 23.
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