Ripple Effect (2007) User Reviews

Worthwhile, watch it!

[BronzeKeilani26 · 5/10 · 8 October 2008]

Amer Atrash (Philippe Caland) is an ambitious immigrant from Lebanon living in hot pursuit of the American Dream. The fledgling fashion designer has been so focused on finding the seed money to launch a trendy clothing line that he's ended up neglecting his trophy wife Sherry (Virginia Madsen) and their adorable young daughter. Then, when a prospective investor (John Billingsley) withdraws his promise of a $12 million line of credit, Amer watches as yet another foolproof plan blows up in his face, a pattern he's become painfully familiar with. Fed up with being ignored, Sherry asks her husband to move into his office. Left alone with his thoughts, he finds himself forced to confront a deep, dark secret he's hidden from everyone, namely, that 15 years ago he hit Philip Blackman (Forest Whitaker) with his car, a pedestrian left paralyzed by the accident. Suddenly, Amer suspects that his inability to get his business off the ground might be the consequence of bad karma caused by his failure to help the unfortunate paraplegic. So, he sets out to track down Philip to offer him financial support and to beg for forgiveness, and this quest for redemption sits at the center of Ripple Effect, a thought-provoking drama which takes some surprising twists and turns en route to resolution. For it turns out Phil he has no interest in pity, having long-since made peace with his lot in life, etc. Can't tell you everything *smile*

Furthermore, he has a flourishing career as a college professor, as well as the love if not exactly the fidelity of a pretty wife (Minnie Driver) with whom he shares a rather unorthodox relationship. And when Phil won't accept any money from Amer, this leads to a valuable lesson about what really matters.

Kudos to writer/director/co-star Philippe Caland for crafting such a refreshingly unpredictable cautionary tale filled with complex characters, and for coaxing inspired performances from an A-list cast topped by Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver

Futile Exercise

[cyanopicacyana · 5/10 · 7 March 2009]

I saw the movie just because I generally like the subject: Ripple Effect. I mean, it's appealing... the idea of unpredictable chains of events.

But I have to admit this movie was horrible. Not because it is a low budget movie, but because they completely ignored the audience. The main character is so unattaching that you cannot really relate to him (worsened by the really poor acting of Mr. Calland). Furthermore, the story is so abstract it becomes meaningless. Then there is nothing to attach to than vague monologues (not even particularly mentally stimulating) of Forest Whitaker (which, together with Virginia Madsen, may be the only two that do the minimum in this movie to deserve the title of actor).

This movie might be interesting as an exercise for some directing class in the University, but not for release as a commercial title. The movie is so self-centered in its futile exercise of movie-making that it completely obliterates the viewer... and when that happens... there's just no turning back. Fast forward... really fast.

Human!!- good one

[m-ephraim · 6/10 · 22 July 2010]

before seeing the movie I certainly read bad reviews on the movie,and was quite surprised cause of the cast- Forest always does well in dramas and most movies I have seen him act in well!......so I was not too interested to see it, but I went ahead to see what was so bad about it- anyway, I will tell you don't always believe what you read - see it!!!. I think movie by movie we embrace less human and true angles in movie plots etc- we constantly want to be transported away from reality when seeing a movie. This movie is very touching! and very real! with lessons and comfort too. It will make you think- so stay away if you wont let yourself feel, or think. The acting is good, the plot delivery and story sequence is good- keeps you wanting to know what next.

Really?

[ritera1 · 2/10 · 9 January 2012]

The only reason I picked this up was Forrest Whitaker. I've seen several of his straight-to-DVD items and they're usually interesting to very good.

I don't know if I want to know the background of this, 'cause I probably would get angrier. I would have to assume the director, writer and star (one guy) is Mr. Whittaker's and Ms. Driver's celestial guru, or some nonsense like that.

It doesn't help that the "hero" starts out as an arrogant douche who insists on calling his wife and child "beybee" 60 times in the first 1/2 hour. All that was missing was the gold chain around his neck.

So this guy runs his business into the ground, despite the fact that everyone around him loves him. They really love him. Adore him. It helps that he's also the writer telling his actors to love him. I don't.

Then, at his breaking point, he has to right a wrong he did years ago. That's holding him back, although it's unrelated to the present events.

(I should say it was entertaining to hear Ms. Driver fall into various accents throughout the film.)

Then another 40 minutes of blahblahblah and we're done.

Many other reviewers were basically calling this "intellectual" Sure. They just forgot the word "claptrap".

At least the star/director/writer is consistent. A consistently bad actor, writer, and director.

jeezis!

[imizrahi2002 · 25 July 2008]

SHOOT that other reviewer...you have my permission... i fast forwarded through most of the film past the first 35 minutes and it was STILL some of the most painful 50 minutes of my life... and i've had dental surgery with no anesthetic... i'll tell you what happened here. some wannabee hollywooder has some money and somehow gets a few decent(actually, very good...even if they didn't get to show their abilities in THIS film) actors, one with a big name, to be in his film... VOILA...you're a 'hollywooder'. and THEN someone OBviously connected to the film, and this happens WAY too often to my liking...it's just gotten more and more obvious that this is the case, since i KNEW from the quality of the writings i've seen that these people are not illiterate...so they KNOW they're reviewing a piece of crap, even though they're praising it to kingdom come... someone i assume is connected to the film writes a glowing review... or even SEMI glowing... i kept on thinking...OK. so when is the real movie going to start... that's 10 lines, right? i've wasted enough time on this piece of crap but i HAD to set people right since there was only one review before this and i would like to save OTHERS my experience...

Gawdawful !

[eaglespear · 1/10 · 11 June 2010]

A terribly tedious film equipped with a top line cast that still couldn't save this film.

Terribly unbelievable story line, unconvincing characters and the lead character who is also the film producer and director should serve as warning to avoid.

A film self published as this one is for a good reason and indicator the studios rejected it the way antibodies attack and eliminate microbes from invading the body and the studios did their best to keep this film from impeding cinematic audience.

A tire sales pamphlet is more interesting and a better use of your time.

Hit and run

[jotix100 · 7/10 · 23 April 2008]

As the movie starts, we watch a man on a lonely road at night, walking. We hear an impact and naturally, we think the man has been hit by a car we don't see. After the titles, we are taken to a shoot for a clothing sports line using the label Trash. The main force behind the clothes is being photographed with a hot model. This man, Amir Atrash, seems to be on his way up in the fashion industry.

Well, things don't go too well for Atrash, who has to cut expenses when the investment bankers that are behind a deal to take the label to the stratosphere, have cheated on the contract that would make the designer a millionaire. He walks out the deal. Atrash, who has a lovely wife, is not a happy man. This explains why we see him at a party where a paraplegic man is among the guests. Atrash follows him, and his wife because he has a thing to tell Philip, the man on the wheel chair: he was the one that struck him and is responsible for his present condition.

This film written, directed and acted by Philip Caland, was a surprise when we stumbled into it recently. "Ripple Effect" is an engrossing film of redemption as the guilty man has carried a burden within him for a lot of years and now, when we meet him, he wants to ask forgiveness as he tells his victim what happened that fateful night.

Some of the great cast that was assembled are also producers of this picture and it helps explain how comfortable they feel playing their roles. Forest Whitaker is the paraplegic man. Philip Caland plays Atrash with conviction. Also seen the gorgeous Virginia Madsen, Minnie Driver, Kali Rocha, John Billingsley, among others.

The haunting music is by Anthony Martinelli. The fantastic editing was done by two men who know a thing or two about movies, Yvan Gauthier and Joseph Semanse. The camera work by Daron Keet also enhances the film.

While no doubt this film will be liked, or dismissed, it's worth a view by discerning viewers.

A heavy burden to carry on fifteen years!!!

[elo-equipamentos · 6/10 · 19 November 2018]

What great plot to developing a fine movie but a miscasting put the whole thing running away, firstly the picture loose time on endless family matters, the main actor didn't delivery properly and the Forest Whitaker wasn't enough plausive as the victim, Minnie Driver sexy than never didn't look the right choice to the role, anyway the all ellements are disagreement with the concept predetermined and the results are predicable under such condition, but something could be takes from this movies, Minnie singing, the old saying told by the main character and finally the message of forgiveness is high point, it should be better!!!

Resume:

First watch: 2018 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 6.5

What a pity that this movie is not well-known as it deserves...

[ShahramMirkhani · 10/10 · 12 October 2008]

It's a long time since my last comment but I felt it is necessary to write something for this beautiful, sensitive, meaningful and exceptional movie.

The strange thing is many have written almost worse-than-negative and because of my respect for common idea, I cannot and will not fight with them...

...No, actually my problem is why people are getting more nonsense and more stupid day by day??!!

With all due respect to Hollywood productions like fantastic 4, The Dark Knight and many many other movies (which I have seen and will see and enjoy), it is a sin even to compare this movie with them.

This movie is a dramatic, meaningful movie which benefits from its good acts (almost all the actors and actresses are great, specially Forest Whitaker and Philippe Caland), its really nice and well-tailored story, its exceptional music and every other aspects of cinematography that I can remember.

All I can think that people are so unkind to this movie is just conspiracy!! and I do not know why.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND TO WATCH THIS MOVIE FOR THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN THINK....

WATCH....don't fast forward.

[jackcornieth · 10/10 · 2 August 2008]

GOOD MOVIE....and unlike the guy before, i didn't fast forward through it, I WATCHED IT. if you decide to see ripple effect while receiving phone calls, cooking dinner or fast forwarding through it, there are so many more titles I would recommend for such an evening. Ripple effect is a movie about characters, that cannot be defined in "genre" terms. It is not an action/drama/comedy/horror/etc...kind of movie that fills the pipes and feeds the tiger, and as a result, may not find broad appeal. At first I was engaged by the writing and the acting, but I gradually realized that I was watching a special movie that tried to (and managed to) be different from everything else....and for that alone, hats off to all who made it happen. I have great admiration for the main cast forest whitaker/virginia madsen/ minnie driver, for taking a leap of faith with this film....stars of that level usually don't venture into such "out of the box" movies, but ripple effect worked for me, and I am sure that others who WATCH it, will feel the same.

Not a bad film....

[hell-no-productions · 8/10 · 3 August 2008]

I don't think it was a bad film at all.

I don't usually like to comment on films, I think it's all kind of silly. I like to see the film and make up my own mind.

I just read "imizrahi2002" comment and I don't know why some people are so angry over a film. There seems to be a lot of upset people on IMDb. I guess "imizrahi2002" was in reaction to "jotix100" over glowing review. Dunno....

It's true the film is no Gone With the Wind or anything, but the film does have it charms.

I thought it was a nice simple emotional film with a good heart.

Great film

[john-987-267311 · 9/10 · 26 February 2011]

A bit shocked by the very negative review at the beginning. This is a very thoughtful, insightful movie. It feels very Buddhist in the sense that you cannot freeze any event in life and say whether or not it is a good or bad thing. Life exists in flow and bad turns to good and the reverse is also true. Those who are most free in life are those that let the past be what it was and choose to use it as a series of opportunities to learn how to live more deeply. There is a powerful intersection of two lives at the beginning of the film that shatters two lives in that moment. But both people use the event differently and when the opportunity is created to reconnect their lives, how each of them deal with it comes to light. "There is nothing evil but that thinking makes it so" all life is interpretation of events that are just events.

Great movie..see for yourself

[cronister · 8/10 · 28 November 2009]

This was a great movie in my opinion, and like another user stated if your like the masses rating movies 4 and 5 stars like UP and Dark Knight and rear window you maybe be disappointed in this gem, My idea of a 4 or 5 star movies = Fight Club, 25th hour, Magnolia, Sin City, Pulp Fiction, American Beauty, Usual Suspects, 300, Requiem for a Dream, Taxi Driver, Waking Life, What the bleep do we know, Matrix, Angel Heart, American Psycho, Office Space, The Wall, Slacker, Tape, Before the Devil knows your dead, Mo better blues, Swingers, Sixth Sense, Trainspotting, One flew over cuckoos nest,Usual Suspects,Kill Bill, Seven..well you get the idea..If your taste is like mine you'll probably love this movie.

Collapse on the Beach

[cinemama745 · 11 December 2008]

The ending on the beach wasn't clear but I think Amer's wife told him over the phone she was leaving him. You then see him collapse in despair. The point of the movie is not that we must strive for personal growth as was intentionally repeated throughout. Instead, the final scene went beyond that by showing that all personal progress sets us up for further disappointment. That being the case, the story portrayed a deep truth dramatically and didn't spoon feed the moral as some people claim. This film tried to portray infinite sadness.

The scene of Amer's wife meeting the actor had to have been significant to be included. It didn't seem like a good match, so I guess they intentionally made it that way to throw-off our expectations and surprise us in the end.

If we learned more about the wise paraplegic Phillip's character, I wonder if he'd lose that shield of innocence he had and experience a crash. The writer/actor Phillip Caland named Whittaker's character "Phillip" as well. Kinda weird.