Ripple Effect (2007)
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29% of critics liked it
(7 reviews) -
29% of users liked it
(382 ratings)
Philippe Caland directs and stars in this karmic drama about a hip, new age clothing designer from Lebanon who attempts to engineer redemption after realizing that a mistake from his past may have destroyed his entire future. Amer Atrash (Caland) is a first generation immigrant who's perpetually… More Philippe Caland directs and stars in this karmic drama about a hip, new age clothing designer from Lebanon who attempts to engineer redemption after realizing that a mistake from his past may have destroyed his entire future. Amer Atrash (Caland) is a first generation immigrant who's perpetually on the verge of the American Dream. But despite his repeated attempts to achieve financial success, it seems that complications always arise at the eleventh hour that set him directly back to square one. Now, after years of struggling, Amer is set to debut a cutting edge clothing line that could put him on top of the world. When the rug is pulled out from under Amer's feet once again, his efforts to hustle his way through the predicament ultimately amount to naught. Later, when Amer's wife Sherry (Virginia Madsen) admits that she's been feeling neglected and needs time to decide whether it's worth working to save their marriage, the dejected designer tells her a secret that he's never revealed to another living soul. Fifteen years earlier, Amer was involved in an accident that left a man named Phillip Blackman (Forest Whitaker) wheelchair bound. Could it be that all of Amer's current life problems somehow stem back to that one fateful night? Upon hearing Amer's story, Sherry encourages her husband to seek out Phillip and make amends. Later, after locating Phillip's beautiful wife Kitty (Minnie Driver), Amer begs for forgiveness by citing all the bad things that have happened to him since the accident. When Phillip and Amer set out on a journey designed to alter Amer's current state of mind and finally bring him nearer to enlightenment, the lives of both men are profoundly changed in ways that neither could have ever anticipated. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Philippe Caland
- Written By
- Philippe Caland
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Jul 11, 2008 Wide
- Studio
- Monterey Media
Critic Reviews
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Neil Genzlinger, New York Times
Starts with a not-very-original insight and takes too many shortcuts delivering it.
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Michelle Orange, Village Voice
Several ordinarily banal movies soldered into one amazingly bad one.
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Jeff Shannon, Seattle Times
After a bumpy start, Ripple Effect begins to show why Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver signed on as executive producers and co-stars.
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Kam Williams, EURWeb
Kudos to writer/director/co-star Philippe Caland for crafting such a refreshingly unpredictable cautionary tale and for coaxing inspired performances from an A-list cast which inludes by Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver.
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Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
Kudos to writer/director/co-star Philippe Caland for crafting such a refreshingly unpredictable cautionary tale and for coaxing inspired performances from an A-list cast which inludes by Forest Whitaker, Virginia Madsen and Minnie Driver.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
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Cast
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Forest Whitaker
as Phillip Blackman
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Virginia Madsen
as Sherry Atrash
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Minnie Driver
as Kitty Blackman
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Philippe Caland
as Amer Atrash
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John Billingsley
as Brad
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Kali Rocha
as Alex
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Kip Pardue
as Tyler
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Joanna Krupa
as Vicky
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Orlando Seale
as Brian
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Zareh Boyadjian
as Jeweler
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Ken Sylk
as Ronald
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Michael T. Weiss
as Michael
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Jerry Katell
as Gordon
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Robert Belinoff
as Lawyer
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Sandra Lajer
as Secretary
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Charley Mae Caland
as Charley
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Bryan Black
as Promoter
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Lisa Udasco
as Reporter
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Brian Fox
as Ad Executive
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William Butterworth
as Ad Executive
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Jamie Abrahms
as Ad Executive
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Frank Angiuli
as Atrash Staff
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Lisa Danielle
as Strash Staff
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Susan Knego
as Atrash Staff
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Kelli Nordhus
as Atrash Staff
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Melissa Sopousek
as Atrash Staff
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Gerard Guez
as Businessman
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Mohamed Hadid
as Businessman
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Diego Brasoli
as Businessman
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Michel Nahas
as Businessman
