Veronika Decides to Die (2009)

best movie i've ever seen.

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

Go in cold, and you're likely to emerge with your blood boiling. This has to be seen to be believed.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

The acting and production standards in this film are all extremely high: the photography is beautiful, there is some nifty editing (particularly in the build-up to the attempted suicide) and the director clearly has a strong feel for the subject. The acting is also superb throughout - Sarah Michelle Gellar fans can rest easy, their heroine doesn't let the side down, in fact her performance carries the movie and makes one wish she were given more strong parts like this on the big screen.

English screenwriter and director Emily Young's second feature film which was written by American screenwriter, producer and director Larry Cross and screenwriter Roberta Hanley, is an adaptation of a novel from 1998 by Brazillian author, lyricist and musician Paulo Coehlo. It was shot on location in New York, USA and is an American production which was produced by producers Sriram P. Das, Jonathan Bross and Chris Hanley. It tells the story about a woman named Veronika Deklava who after having attempted to take her one life ends up in a coma and wakes up two weeks later at a psychiatric facility called Vilette where she is told by doctors that she has an incurable aneurism in the heart.Finely and subtly directed by British filmmaker Emily Young, this quietly paced fictional tale which is narrated by the main character and from multiple viewpoints, draws a heartrending portrayal of a woman in some kind of existentialistic crises who learns that she will die and that death might occur at any given moment. While notable for it's naturalistic milieu depictions, fine production design by production designer John Nyomarkay and cinematography by cinematographer Seamus Tierney, this narrative-driven story about a newly committed patient who begins changing her pessimistic views on life after talking to a psychiatrist named Alex Blake, depicts some empathic studies of character and contains a timely score by English composer Murray Gold.This quiet, at times atmospheric and modestly romantic drama which is set mostly at a privately funded institution near the Hudson River in New York where an assistant account executive becomes more aware of the greatness in living when she befriends a young man who has stopped speaking, is impelled and reinforced by it's cogent narrative structure, substantial character development, endearing characters, witty use of music and the commendable acting performances by American actresses Sarah Michelle Gellar, Melissa Leo, Erika Christensen, American actor Jonathan Tucker and English actor David Thewlis. A reflective, humane and life-affirming character piece from the late 2000s.

This film is about a young woman who attempts to kill herself by an overdose. She is admitted to a psychiatric hospital for treatment, and another chapter of her life enfolds.The book "Veronika Decides to Die" has a good word of mouth, and its author is world famous. So I thought the film would be good, and chose it for a film night with friends. It proved to be a disastrous decision. The film is so slow, tortuous and pretentious. There is so little material so they have to stretch everything to fill up the ninety minutes of screen time. I mean, how long do you have to watch the characters walking down a corridor or staring out the window? My friends started making excuses to leave about half way through, and one hour into the film, all seven friends have left. That's how boring "Veronika Decides to Die" is. My friends who have read the book said this adaption does not do the book justice, and there are seemingly pointless additions in the film. So, if you want yourself to be touched by the story, read the book instead.

Anyone who has experienced someone close committing or attempting to commit suicide will know how difficult it is to come to terms with not having noticed the signs, done something differently, or been less selfish. And yet this film strips away so many of the myths about suicide it deserves to be watched for taking on us a trip through many simple truths. From Paulo Coelho's profound story, through Emily Young's sensitive direction, and Sarah Michelle Gellar's superbly crafted performance of Veronika, this film is rich in things to spoil yourself with.The story is simple: Veronika decides to die and we are lead on a trip through human wonderland from there on. There are no spoilers here, and, no matter what ending you wish for as the characters evolve you are going to be taken on a wonderful waltz around the drawing room as the onion layers are stripped away.My only criticism is the overuse of soft speech against the soundtrack of some often wonderful piano music, but I forgive the film this fault because it has so much more to offer than words. David Thewlis gives a very thoughtful portrayal of the often unorthodox Dr Blake.This isn't perhaps the greatest cinema but it is compelling as a drama and deserves to be up there with the best movies you can watch.