Amer Atrash seems to be a man with everything, a beautiful wife and little girl and a fashion design business that is on of brink of taking off but when a few business deals fail he finds himself at the bottom with no where to turn. Amer has always been haunted by his past, an accident years before when he first came to America and now he feels he must confront the person and face the demons before he can move on with his life.

Ripple Effect is one of those movies that draw their audience in, making them a part of the character's lives, you feel for them and care what happens to them. Writer/Director Philippe Caland has created a film that is character driven and he weaves the tale but introducing Amer and his life first then he slowly unveils the past, the reason the man suffers inside so much. Philippe Caland who has mostly done directing and producing in the past does an outstanding job here as Amer, he brings out the character in a very believable way. Virginia Madsen is fantastic as his wife and Forest Whitaker is his marvelous self as Philip, the man on the receiving end of Amer's past and a man dealing with his own issues since that fatal day. Minnie Driver is also very good as Philip's wife, a singer who brings men home to have sex with, trying to fill the void in her own life. The film is beautiful to look at, fantastic camera work and the editing is flawless here. The film won the Director’s Choice Award for Best Feature at the Sedona Film Festival in February and for good reason, this is a thought-provoking and powerful film that draws out all your emotions. Forest Whitaker plays an important character but he does not enter into the film till the second half of it but his performance alone is worth seeing this for, funny how this man's talent went un-noticed for so long. He is truly one of the best actor's in Hollywood today. If your looking for the typical Hollywood no-brainer that's packed with action and effects then look elsewhere but if you like a film with a interesting story, great direction and a cast that bring their character's to life in a way that puts you inside the screen and next to them then this is one film you should not miss. Ripple Effect is a film that leaves you thinking about your own life and the actions you take and any film that can do that is one that deserves to be seen. The film is making the festival run now and until May, you can keep checking back here for more information on when you might be able to see this fantastic film. Released by Monterey Media. ***** Out Of *****