RIPE
A film review by James Berardinelli
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1996
U.S. Release Date: beginning 6/11/97 (limited)
Running Length: 1:34
MPAA Classification: No MPAA Rating (Sexual situations, profanity,
violence)
Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Monica Keena, Daisy Eagan, Gordon Currie, Ron Brice Director: Mo Ogrodnik Producer: Suzy Landa Screenplay: Mo Ogrodnik Cinematography: Wolfgang Held Music: Anton Sanko U.S. Distributor: Trimark Pictures
I'm having a hard time deciding whether RIPE is disturbing because it tells a powerful, unconventional story about friendship and the maturation process, or because it offers themes and images that border on prurient and sensationalistic. The truth is probably a little of each. Much as I appreciate some of the ideas first-time director Mo Ogrodnik is attempting to convey, this sometimes-preposterous movie pales in comparison to another currently-available girls' coming-of-age story, ALL OVER ME, as well as to last years' sisters-on-the-run entry, MANNY AND LO.
There's no denying that RIPE gets under your skin. It's a creepy film, and, though Ogrodnik may flounder in the deeper dramatic waters of her tale, she proves to be exceptional at generating suspense. I don't think RIPE was intended as a thriller per se, but much of the final half-hour plays like one. The movie managed to surprise me on a few occasions, and it deserves points for that alone.
The main characters, a pair of fourteen-year old fraternal twins, Violet (Monica Keena) and Rosie Wyman (Daisy Eagan), represent two halves of one person. Violet, the pretty one, radiates sensuality, and, as she goes through the physical changes of adolescence, she becomes intent upon exploring her own sexuality. Rosie, the tomboy, embodies rage and violence. She too is undergoing a transformation, but hers is potentially more dangerous. While Violet masturbates in a storage shed, Rosie perfects her aim on a shooting range. An ever-widening chasm develops between these once-inseparable sisters.
RIPE opens with a scene of the six-year old girls (played by Donia and Janna Silver-Smith) being terrorized by their father. It then flashes forward eight years to a fiery car wreck, where Mr. and Mrs. Wyman perish, but Violet and Rosie escape alive. They go on the run, ending up at a military base where they stay with Pete (Gordon Currie), the young, long-haired, civilian groundskeeper. While Violet spends her time flirting with Pete, whose sole ambition seems to be deflowering her, Rosie makes friends with Ken (Ron Brice), a sympathetic M.P. who gives her a gun and teaches her to use it.
One of the things RIPE does is to illustrate some of the difficulties experienced by a woman coming of age in a male-dominated society. A reason that Ogrodnik set this film on a military base is to deepen the sense of masculine supremacy (the army represents the apex of machismo), and, as a result, emphasize Violet and Rosie's solitude. There is no female role model for the girls; they're entirely on their own. When Violet has her first period, there isn't anyone she can turn to for help and advice. Pete, the closest thing she has to a friend, is too embarrassed and uncertain to offer any real support.
There are times when RIPE appears to cross the line into exploitation, however. Looking down the open necks of the girls' shirts, the camera peers relentlessly at their budding breasts. Pubescent nipples are frequently outlined against tight-fitting tee- shirts. While it could be argued that this is meant to enhance our awareness of the twins' sexual maturation, the questionable approach almost seems designed to entice pedophiles.
Monica Keena (the youngest member of the comatose man's clan in WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING) and Daisy Eagan (Jessica Lange's daughter in LOSING ISAIAH) are striking as Violet and Rosie. They're teenage actresses portraying teenagers, and neither falters. One of the reasons RIPE's uneven storyline pulls draws us in is because Keena and Eagan make their characters real, even though the plot often seems anything but that. None of the supporting cast members stand out, but then no one has as much screen time or presence as the two leads.
With the threat of danger lurking around every corner, RIPE is certainly meant to make us feel uneasy. The subject matter is difficult, and the director doesn't avoid all the pitfalls. Dramatically, the film is a little disappointing. Unlike KIDS, which was shockingly believable, RIPE occasionally uses scripted violence to usurp the place of character development. Movies like HEAVENLY CREATURES and FUN have done this sort of friendship/bloodshed story in a far more compelling fashion. Nevertheless, despite the missteps, there is enough provocative material in RIPE to make it of passing interest to anyone whose curiosity is piqued by the subject matter.
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@bc.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
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