Customer Reviews

Ripe [VHS]

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This movie is an utter disappointment. The concept it explores - budding female sexuality in a hyper-testoterone environment - is certainly fascinating and well worth exploring, but the realization of that concept falls apart in nearly every way. The script is very badly written, both in terms of storyline, and of dialogue. One can't help feeling, for example, that the screenwriter wrote swearwords into the opening monologue simply to have the speaker swear. The story relies so heavily on cliche that you can predict each plot twist twenty minutes in advance. The army base, where most of the film takes place, is in a state of disrepair that the army would never have allowed - the set dressers couldn't even get rid of the cobwebs. The supporting actors are laughably bad, from the "lone biker" guy who deflowers one sister, to the "sympathetic officer" who teaches the other to shoot a gun, to the various soldiers and cadets milling about the outskirts of the plot. In fact, this movie is so bad over all, it might be enjoyable to watch simply to make fun of it. Except no, the two starring actresses, Daisy Eagan and Monica Keena, are far to good. (Eagan is best known for playing Mary Lennox in "The Secret Garden" on Broadway, for which she won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical - at age 11.) I wanted "Ripe" to be good. I really did. Alas, there just isn't enough quality invested in this film to make it worth even a second glance.

Ripe is not an exploitative Lolita sex film as the oversaturated key art may suggest. Instead, it is a challenging, offbeat exploration of female sexuality and coming of age, imaginatively directed and well acted by its three leads.

The script sometimes gets rocky and crude as with many indie films (too much swearing is a curse in indie scripts), but the film is visually stunning, and the cumulation of small moments is delicious -- when Violet discovers the adult magazines, for example, or when the gruff man who takes the sisters in has to explain menstruation to her. And the final scene with the two sisters is devastating, a weird amalgam of suspense, family drama, and psychosexual overtones.

A wonderful music score by Anton Sanko (ex-Suzanne Vega Band) augments this aesthetically excellent, curiously poignant, ultimately very dark film.

Ripe is.. an interesting movie, to say the least. Of course, as I'm sure was the case with others who rented this movie, the cover was what attracted me to it. I am a heterosexual female, so it wasn't necessarily the sex appeal, but more so that title of the movie and the simplicity of the cover. After reading the back of the box, I decided to check it out. For some, perhaps most, this movie will be a let down. You'd probably be expecting a sexually driven/teenage hormones extravaganza, but in the end, this movie is really the deep story of a very tough choice. It's a look into the life of two teenage sisters, Rosie and Violet, on the run from the death of both of their parents. Throughout the movie, I was constantly rolling my eyes and sighing from annoyance towards Rosie, the apathetic tomboy of the two. Violet, sometimes seemingly naive and ignorant, had her share of sighs as well. However, about 2/3 into the movie, my attitude towards all of this changed, as the storyline dramatically did as well. The last twenty minutes were a real shock (some reviews said that this movie was very cliche, very unoriginal, and very predictable, but I disagree), and made the rest of the movie worth it. I loved the ending -- just sad enough to make an impact.. had it ended any other way, I probably wouldn't be as satisfied with this movie. All in all, Ripe is worth a shot if you have some time to burn and an open mind (not tarnished from these bad reviews).

The cover of this movie naturally caught my eye in the video store, as I'm sure it did the eye of every straight male in this country, but for the most part I'd say the cover is misleading. Monica Keena is gorgeous in this, don't get me wrong, but there's not a lot of eyecandy in this or anything. I can really only recall one arousing scene where she's alone in a shed. As for the rest of the film, I'm not to keen on militairy stuff, and the other sister was so...well, the type of girl I really can't stand. I rather wished this movie would have had a happy ending, with the biker dude and Keena running off together and getting married, leaving the sister to enjoy her continued gender bending existence. All I can say is watch it once, you might like it. And if you think Keena is a hottie check out Snow White, A Tale of Terror. She is the perfect Snow White! It'd be nice if she also made a family version too, she's just so perfect for the role.

This is an amazing film! I've read all the other reviews, most of which are negative, and am left puzzled about why people aren't liking this movie! Judged on it's own terms and not having to defend itself as one of those "Indy" films with all the baggage that goes along with that, it is a very decent movie that showed me some things I've never seen in a coming of age movie featuring girls. It's refreshing to see girls portrayed as something other than mindless bimbos or passive victims.

I like it's originality and the performances by the two lead actresses Monica Keena, and Daisy Eagan are spot on and very believable.

Every movie has something that might make it better. In this one a better exploration of the girl's background and their parents might have been nice and also a filling out of the reason for the rundown nature of the army base and the curious cast of characters there. In some ways the army base has almost a dream like quality cause it's a little unreal, but it's not a big enough problem to seriously detract from all the great things this movie has got going for it.

This is not a movie with lots of nudity or sex, so if that is what you are looking for, try something else. However if you want an enjoyable film with realistic characters and lots of drama and suspense then buy this movie!

Despite many discouraging reviews read on Amazon, I picked this movie up against my better judgement. Yes, the cover art is deceiving to the average, heterosexual man. But, men are visual creatures, aren't they? Taking three seconds to flip the box over, scan the description & you would have KNOWN that you were either buying or renting a certifiable CHICK FLICK. DUH! Now, for all you chicks out there... This is an excellent coming of age story meets Thelma & Louise, meets Sister, My Sister. Keegan and Eagan play sisters Violet, the beautiful, sexually curious younger sister (Keegan) and Rosie, the tomboy, gun-lovin' tough girl sister (Eagan).

The movie starts out with the girls being around 6 or 8 with a really violent homelife and parents that are abusive towards one another and towards the girls. Car accident ensues and Rosie drags her sister from the burning car. They VOW to be together FOREVER!

However... Violet's vow is broken as she becomes interested in sex and a long haired drifter with a motorcycle. Rosie's vow was a real one & she gets emotionally crushed by her own sister. The only person that she ever loved.

This movie is a great coming of age story with a wicked, surprise ending. No real nudity to speak of, very little bad language, some brief sexual situations. Not what the majority of the men who watched this film thought it was going to be.... Which is, in and of itself, the very reason I found the movie to be so great!

Happy Watching!

I thought this movie was great! It reminded me of how I was about 7 years ago: innocent, but wanting to be naughty. It was a good thing I wasn't let loose on that military base at 14 years of age! :) This movie was highly erotic!

I really expected this to be up to the company it was advertised with, i.e., other films and books. I found it much like you might find on Cinemax or HBO. I expected at least a hint of erotica, but found nothing even close. Unless you call a brief underwear or chest shot thrilling.An inexpenseive price for an inexpensive film.

The problem with most, this included, independent directors/writers, is that they feel mere innuendo is enough and lady or the tiger endings are artful.

Innuendo is useful and frequently more erotic than out and out nudity in the hands of a master. In this movie, it merely is frustrating. Even when our heroine is deflowered, she is still wearing a slip to bed!

The ending is frustrating since we are not really sure what happens--or is likely to happen--to either of the two girls.

Certainly not the type of move I was expecting, but it did hold my interest and was enjoyable.

when i started watching the movie, i thought that it was another sisterhood fugitives of the law type movie, as i remember when i was young dreaming about traveling across america by hitchhiking with my best friend, but as they stumble upon the military base all that happens is they get into....men. one loses her virginity to the man letting the two stay in his house and the other loses hers, while intoxicated, to a drunken training soldier. so much for decency.