Veronika Decides to Die

The divine Sarah Michelle Gellar and the minimalist absolute director David Thewlis have led me to a fascinating contradiction. They tell the story in a breathtaking way, then stop, delay, and twist all expectations, yet still end with such a perfect catharsis that I find it hard to withhold the highest rating. I can't remember the last time I wished so much for a film to never end and ultimately acknowledged, amazed, how the conclusion gave order to everything and added a touch of genius. Currently at 85%. (2009-12-29)

Paulo Coelho isn't my favorite author, but maybe that's just because I haven't read anything from him yet. I glanced through one of his books, read a few pages, and thought it might interest me, but never went back to it. Perhaps sometime in the future. The film's theme is definitely intriguing and it's executed in a way that won't leave you feeling down for the next 24 hours. Sarah Michelle proves she can act, even though she doesn't dare to take on all roles. It’s an interesting glimpse into the lives of people who need help. It's not a stunning masterpiece, but it's intriguing. (2014-04-08)

Sometimes even seemingly unremarkable and seemingly "minor" films can offer an extraordinary experience. Veronika Decides to Die is a perfect example of this, and it's not necessarily just about the visuals (although in this case the totally unknown to me Emily Young also did a good job), but also about the actual applicability with our real lives (after all, the girl was actually right about almost everything:)) Veronica, disgusted and depressed by the current times, rediscovers the strength to live again only because of a few wonderful individual moments (as the film itself says), which she experiences thanks to a strange encounter, through which in her "new" life she finds what she was missing before (or rather, what her former life could not provide). The deep and psychologically sophisticated story is graced by Sarah Michelle Gellar's beautiful but also passable performance and, of course, the chosen narrative style, which is civil and sensitive in the best way. I don't know the book, but maybe I'll get to it in time. :) (2010-09-29)