Dr.Baha Amro

(2012-05-01 01:15:50)

A Piece of Art

I first read the book when it was released and I thought it deserves tobe a movie because the story is so strong and moving. The only questionI had in mind in my imagination was; who would be Veronica? Then afterthey decided to do the movie, it came to me as a pleasant surprise thatSarah was chosen, I was so happy and I loved her since she did Buffythe Vampire slayer. She is fit to the part and she did a good job. Thismovie is deep and makes you change the way you live your life. It makesyou want to embrace life and use every moment and live each day as ifit is your last. I hope this movie gets what it deserves because itdoes deserve the best.

Combovers

(2012-04-30 14:52:33)

Most patronising film I have ever seen.

I have actually signed up to IMDb today just so I could write thisreview. Veronika wants to die is a terrible film. I won't go into theridiculous plot synopsis (incase anyone actually does want to watch thefilm), but it is one of the most contrived depictions of mental healthI have ever seen in a contemporary film. The patients in the instituteare the most one dimensional 'crazies'- catatonic, unintelligent,childlike, etc... It's only a film I hear you say, but with it's socalled 'dark' subject matter and shaky hand-held camera I think thisfilm is attempting at some sort of realism. It is anything but.It has the feel of trying - and failing - to be a film somewhat likeRachel Getting Married (Demme, 2008). However the characters lack depthand the plot (and consequently the ending) leaves you feeling cheated.The music that's played throughout the film is unnecessary, itdistracts from the narrative and leaves you with a conscious feeling ofemotional manipulation. There are many other reasons why this film is terrible, but as I am soenraged of wasting hours of my life watching it, I can't even thinkstraight. I just hope someone else reads this review and doesn't makethe same mistake I did.

perkypops

(2012-04-29 22:44:49)

A very thoughtful look at life and death

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

mydaed

(2012-04-29 06:08:11)

20 something angst

I found the movie disappointing. What is the movie really telling us?"Live every day like you are going to die?" OK. If I am going to diesoon, I max out my credit cards, rent a Ferrari, eat at the finestrestaurants, have sex with the most beautiful models... Then what? Shejust happens to find a really good looking, in-shape, twenty-somethingguy, who happens to not talk much, an incredible artist, and worshipsher with every cell in his body... hmmmmm... Sounds realistic! (everycollege educated white woman's fantasy).That is until the bills are due, the car is repossessed, and you findout you have an unwanted pregnancy and STD. I don't mean to be a wetblanket, but I wish it contained a little more reality.

John F.

(2012-04-28 04:07:22)

On the spot

I watched this movie last night, being an avid reader of Paulo Coelho'sBooks. This really captures the best of the book.It'd be extremely hard to put it all in, specially because knowing theway the author describes it so well.The actors really play their roles, i enjoyed the most, Dr. Blake andVeronika.The parents weren't as good as they should be given the small role theyhad.If you are a fan of the book, watch it, you won't be disappointed.Watch it even if you never the book.I really hope the next book to be adapted is Rio Piedra.

paul david

(2012-04-27 13:29:37)

Finally A Paolo Coelho novel makes it to the movie screen!

Clearly I am not the only Paolo Coelho fan and we have all been waitinga while for one of his books to make it to the big movie screen. wow!Wouldn't have chosen this as the first and if I recall from the book,the story is set in slovenia or slovakia or somewhere like that - whyoh why is the story moved to New York and USA? The film is excellentand an emotional roller-coaster though I really don't think there isenougjh chemistry in the film between Veronika and Edward which was theheart of the story in the book.Almost a Twlight new Moon re-written.Sarah Michelle Gellar is definitely sensational in the lead role asVeronika and nobody, above nobody, should miss seeing this film. Coelhois one of the words most sensitive and interpretative writers of humanemotions and thinks film does all the soul-searching for you.Not a long film but it didn't need to be. I was so thrilled to watch itand I am looking forward to more of P C making it!

Claudio Carvalho

(2012-04-26 13:41:59)

The Awareness of Life

In New York, the middle-class Veronika Deklava (Sarah Michelle Gellar)is a twenty and something year-old beautiful woman with a good job anda nice apartment. However, the feeling of emptiness of her pessimistview of life leads her to commit suicide with an overdose of pills. Shefails in her intent and two weeks later she leaves the coma and awakesin a psychiatric institution directed by the unorthodox Dr. Blake(David Thewlis). She is informed that her OD injured her heartprovoking an aneurysm and she has only a few weeks of life. Along thedays, Veronika gets closer to the catatonic Edward (Jonathan Tucker),who was left in the institution many years ago. They feel attracted foreach other and Veronika discovers the meaning of life again; theyescape from the institution and decide to enjoy the miracle of each newday together. The dramatic "Veronika Decides to Die" is based on the best-seller ofBrazilian writer Paulo Coelho and has a magnificent performance ofSarah Michelle Gellar in the role of a suicidal young woman. Hercomplex character becomes aware of the simple things that make life sowonderful only after finding the meaning of love. The screenplay hasgreat lines and discusses good points like the definition of insanityor the meaning of life. The cinematography and the stylish music scoreare very beautiful. My vote is eight.Title (Brazil): "Veronika Decide Morrer" ("Veronika Decides to Die")

Diala Ch.

(2012-04-25 22:26:13)

So boring!

This movie could have been done much better and way more interesting. Iwas so bored throughout the movie I ended up forwarding most of it toreach the end. I have read the book a long time ago and when I found out that themovie was released, I was very excited and expected it to be a goodone, but it was very disappointing actually.I also noticed that most of the scenes were too long. I believe thatthe movie would have turned out better if more stress was put onVeronika's life before she "decides to die" to get us a littleattached, and therefore puzzled to why she took that decision when shehad it all.The ending was extremely boring too... I also watched it on fastforward..LOL!

kshitij

(2012-04-23 02:37:55)

How will you interpret the meaning of happiness...?

The first thing: I have not read the novel so this review is purelybased on the what I saw on the screen, indifferent of how its beingadopted from the book. And again Sarah Michelle Gellar scores with herperformance as an innocent girl. I think she was the best suited forthis role. So before discussing the story, which I guess most of you,would be acquainted with I want to talk about the direction which wasthe strength of the movie. The movie is not at all boring andcharacters are well handled .There were given a chance to fit in theirrespective roles. So I liked the acting and conversation between thecharacters very much. But still I can't say that the movie is flawless.As I finished watching the movie I found myself pretty satisfied withacting, story and movie overall. But still I get a feel that somethingwas missing in the movie something that could have put this one indifferent league of top movies, the kind of movies which areaward-worthy. One thing was lesser publicity, but leave that reasonbehind ...truth is maybe I could not digest the whole plot. Let me makemyself clearer and discuss the storyline.Veronica (SMG) is a suicidal girl, she unsuccessfully tried to killherself and was later admitted to a mental institution(kind of) forrecovery. The doctor and other staffs of hospital tried to change hermindset and make her believe that life is worth living. But why shewanted to die? What she was expecting from her life, that she did notget? What happiness exactly meant to her? Was she seeking only love inher life? May be you wont find the proper answers to these questions,but considering the fact that movie is purely based on the novel itwont be appropriate to question the storyline of the movie. So for mewatching this movie was a nice experience.

lorcanryanblack

(2012-04-22 07:20:58)

Beautiful adaptation, astonishing acting- Gellar shines.

For years I had a soft spot for the novel 'Veronika Decides To Die',perhaps because Coelho approached the subject material with verve,originality, sensitivity and the understanding that comes only fromhaving lived through something similar.When I heard of the movie, I was hoping it was going to be handled withthe same deft of hand the author had used with the original incarnationof the work. I was worried that a movie of this novel would behaphazard, overtly-dramatic and, frankly, a botched effort. So whenSarah Michelle Gellar became attached to the project I was seriouslyrelieved. Here's an actor who is so under-rated, Gellar has aconsiderable talent: the ability to transcend genres as an actor andsucceed at it. Why she has remained so under-rated in her industry Ihonestly can't understand.Her interpretation of Veronika Deklava in Veronika Decides To Die, I'msure will be defined as being the role of Gellar's career thus far.Gellar makes this movie. Most actors have previously taken similarroles and gone for the overtly-melancholic, Hollywood-style "despair"and self-loathing, making it fraught with unreal overtly emotionalbehaviour that anyone who has suffered severe depression/mental-illnesscan tell you is usually not accurate. What Gellar does here is employsubtly, strength and honesty. Her interpretation of Veronika's despairsmacks of someone who knows what she's dealing with, or at least hasstudied the realism of such suffering with consideration: in real life,severe depressives almost always strive to hide their despair from mostof those around them. Veronika does this in the novel, and SarahMichelle Gellar uses her talents to do it with her approach to her rolein the film, and the result is an astonishing performance from her.Gellar's Veronika is somehow far more real and affecting a characterthan anything thrown out in the last twenty years (e.g: Girl,Interrupted/One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and to lesser degreesmovies such as Thirteen, House of Sand & Fog, The Hours...). The movieis slow, but never does it bore, or seem sluggish. I sat rapt withattention, moved to tears and frequently wishing the movie were goingat a slower pace due to the astonishing performance of Gellar & indeedthe rest of the cast. If you look at the novel itself: this is aboutVeronika, and how she effects those around her, and this is what themovie focuses on and does so almost flawlessly. A previous reviewer described Gellar's acting here as a tour-de-forceperformance, commanding the screen with a subtly, sensitive touch,fraught with mixed emotion, confusion & strength. The rest of the castare equally on top form, Erika Christensen is sad yet charming,Jonathan Tucker and particularly Melissa Leo are great and highlymemorable in their supporting roles. Not for one second did I think Gellar's Veronika was "void of emotion",on the contrary it's a performance filled with clearly conflictingemotions, broiling beneath the surface, always just a moment away frombubbling to the fore yet nearly always controlled- it's clearly athought out, hard-worked at performance and having been in Veronika'sposition, having felt those emotions myself, I can see it in Gellar'sperformance. Her acting skills get a full workout here, she excelsherself and has, I think, raised the bar for other actors in portrayinghopelessness, disillusion and mental illness on screen in a way thatperhaps only Bjork did in a similar way with her quietly charming butclearly sad, disillusioned yet hopeful portrayal of Selma in Dancer inthe Dark.Alright things are missing in the movie that may have helped, but whatthey did here was concentrate on the core idea: Veronika. They took itin the right direction and truly, this film shines because of it. Theoutstanding, subtly & strength of (all) the acting, the beautifulcinematography, the perfectly suited soundtrack and a refreshinglyintelligent, honed script have made Veronika Decides To Die not onlyone of my personal favourite films, but also undoubtedly one of thebest movies I have seen in several years. See it, if not for your loveof the novel, but for the performances, you will be rewarded.It has no doubt set the bar for future movies dealing with similarsubject material, it shows you can make films about depression andsuicide without the irritating emotional circuses previously done inthe industry. Coelho, no doubt is very proud- and I'm sure relieved!Sadly I think though it is certainly Oscar worthy stuff on display, I'mnot sure due to its rather scattered release, the fact it isindependent and unlikely to get as broad a release and publicity as isneeded for Oscar contenders generally, it would be tragic if all thebloody great acting on show here does not get its deserved recognition.If I had not already been a major fan of Sarah Michelle Gellar's workbefore, I certainly would have been after this. See it!

hugizz145

(2012-04-17 06:20:15)

Veronika decides to die has amazing performances , but this plot does not go any where

OK , let's see ... after you watch this film you could decide what isbetter , the book or the film , well if somebody has not read the book, i will tell you read it because it is better than the film .... butfilm is not that bad , actually it is a really good film Lets talk about the performances , first we have to say that SarahMichelle Gellar was wonderful , seriously she was shocking , she reallygot into the Veronika's skin , she showed a depressed girl with subtlegestures and strong dialogs ..... i always thought that she isunderrated as an actress and i was right she is ... but i think thatshe is such a talented actress and i think that she deserves an Oscarfor the performance that she did in this film . Melissa Leo wasfabulous as usual .... Erika Christinsen was depressing and cute at thesame time ..... David Thewil was good but not really impressive ....and Jonathan Tucker was a little insipid , i think he did not giveeverything what he had to give.Well , now maybe you are thinking , why does he say that the plot doesnot go any where ??? , well because in fact this is a short story , imean that it does not have a lot to tale .... so i felt that the filmprolongs a lot the end . But it has a beautiful messages : "live every moment in the best waypossible" and "the life is a miracle so do not waste it" . And it is asa self-help film .Now we have to talk about the characters , well you can see how theygrow up , and how they find their life purposes .... When i waswatching i film i was really impressed of how they changed theirpersonalities , they taught me that happiness can be everywhere , inevery time , they inspired me .My conclusion is that it is a film that has to be seen , and that it isone of the best films of the year ..... it gives you a life lesson andit is the most wonderful thing of the whole film , it gave me a lifelesson.

davslayerx

(2012-04-16 22:34:06)

delicate and dreamer

I just saw the movie...i have no words,absolutely fantastic. thegreatest Gellar's performance in her whole career. the scene whenVeronika plays the piano in front of Edward is one of the best i'veever seen:fantastic movie,great recitation...you have the impression tobe in a dream.the soundtrack is also very good and intense as in thepiano scene as in the escape scene.sets are also very good,the clinicis absolutely great,this gave to the outside scenes a great impact andtouch. Director Emily Young did another great job,this also for MelissaLeo...her Mari was so believable and touching...I really hope that thismovie will have a wide release,i think that would be a great movie foradults and teenagers too!

(2012-04-15 08:59:49)

superb film YES it DOES play on American and European BD players

This excellent movie and Swedish BD does play on both American and European BD players. The extras will not play on American players but the MAIN FEATURE does.When the disc opens you get a choice of the four scandi languages select any. The film willactivate. Once the film starts you can use the POP UP to turn off the subtitles.

JC VD

(2012-04-14 23:15:41)

Simply terrific

It's a movie worth watching b/c it guides you to search your soul inthis crazy world.Kudos to Sarah Michelle Gellar's performance & her agent landing herthis movie. Last time I had the chance to view her performance wasGrudge 2 and wow she became a serious actress in this one.Maybe it's the director dared to tone down to sell our her blond prettygirl image. Instead, giving her a chance to be an actress.Terrific script as it dares to asks us what's the meaning of life,love, reality, ... etc I am as impressed with this script as I was with"He loves me, he loves me not" Terrific music as well. Kudos to theproducer to put out this amazing movie during this time of sci-fi,shock em all, trash comedy, soft porn / comedy Hollywood junk foodmoviesIt deserves Oscar or other serious film award. At least nominations!!!Just to show Americans are not lame and stupid!!!

Kellie Stewart

(2012-04-12 20:20:41)

Well Done

This is a story about a suicidal girl. At first I was enjoying itbecause I could relate to it. Veronika is institutionalized for wantingto commit suicide. Inside she rebels and tries to reject everyonearound her. She plays the piano and this attracts a resident that isusually very solitary. With her music, she seems to reach somethinginside of him that might help bring him out of his shell. By feelingneeded by someone else, we can all see value in our own lives and wecan stop living for what we can do for ourselves, but what we can dofor others and we can start to see our value and maybe what some of ourtalents are capable of. Veronika seems to come to these realizations asshe explores reaching out to this male resident.

ted00043

(2012-04-12 14:18:17)

Film Art

The story centers on Veronika, a woman in her mid twenties who appearsto have everything: good looks, good job and a great life ahead of her.Yet she decides to end her own life. She is unsuccessful and awakens ina mental hospital where she learns that she a short time to live.However in the hospital she meets people who are only 'insane' becausethey don't always follow society's rules. With little left to lose,Veronika embarks on a journey on which she frees herself to experiencerelationships and emotions and ultimately discovers what it means tolive.I Can't Help It. This Is Truly The Best Drama Movie I Have Seen To Date(That Can Be Argued But Thats My Opinion). The Character DevelopmentWith Veronika Is Fantastic And I Am Not Even Close To Kidding. The MainReason This Film Appealed To Me Is That I Have Been Through DepressionAnd If I Had To Choose A Stabbing Or Depression I'd Choose TheStabbing, It Was A Long Time Ago But That Is Not Something You Forget.I Was Also Pleasantly Surprised To See David Thewlis In A Movie That IsGood (I REALLY Hate Harry Potter). This Is Also Proof That There AreStill Good Movies Out There Its Just None Of Its Popular Anymore. IWill Also Say I Have Never Read The Book But Its One That I Will Make ANote Of To Read. I Also Liked The Twist That Veronika Was Fine, It WasThe One Way That This Movie Could've Ended With Her Discovering What ItMeans To Live. I Nearly Did Cry When Edward Thought She Was Dead.Overall I Highly Recommend This Even If Your Not The Biggest Fan OfDrama Movies - I'm Not And I Loved This - Because This Is Truly One OfThe Best Movies Of 2009.

ltlacey

(2012-04-12 03:14:15)

Another I Really Am Worthy flick for the thinking masses

First off, I have read quite a bit of Paulo Coelho. His books areintense, personal, and also spiritual, though not as we would think,meaning religious. So when I heard that a movie had been made from oneof his books I was a bit leery. How do you convey all of that inwardretrospection and Being As One in a movie? Well, you really cannot. Butthis is not to say that Gellar (surprise, surprise) did not come acrossas the intense young woman from Coelho's story. But there are certainauthors who come to mind and "Hollywood" gets their mitts on theirwork, and well, disaster is usually the result, and PC is one of them.In this story a young woman, obviously very depressed and who does nothave such a good relationship with her parents, nor herself really,decides to kill herself, but fails. She awakens in an institution onlyto find out that her attempt at killing herself has in fact given her adeath sentence, but now it will be prolonged. What to do? We find innerpeace and meaning. Read the book instead.

crushingaflood

(2012-04-11 18:40:26)

Expected good, but not this good

This movie hit me like a ton of bricks. I had been eagerly anticipatinga viewing of this movie as it seemed like something right up my alley,but it was so much more fulfilling than I could've prepared myself for.Don't worry, I won't spoil anything.Veronika Decides to Die is one of those movies that feels likesomething from another world or time period. The music is enchanting,the dialogue is sophisticated, intelligent and absolutely perfect, andthe atmosphere is quite ethereal yet somber. The bulk of the movietakes place at Villete, an expensive mental health clinic thatVeronika's parents pay for her to stay at after a botched attempt atsuicide. The movie is packed full of beautiful cinematography - fromthe winding courtyards and gardens outside of Villete to the darkwooded hallways and luxurious furniture within, the atmosphere of theentire movie is incredibly cozy. The music itself is also quite somberand very evocative - definitely a movie to get the soundtrack for.A brief summary of the movie, without spoilers, basically a slightlycolored-up version of the already available plot summary:Veronika goes home to her NYC condo and attempts suicide only to failand wake up at Villete. She is told she only has two weeks to live dueto irreparable heart damage caused by her botched suicide attempt. Atfirst she is angry at this notion and is intent on ending her life asapinstead of waiting the two weeks out at what she views to be nothingmore than a glorified mental institution that she feels cannot helpher, nor does she want help. However, with her every waking thought andaction filtered through the realization that her mortality could be upat any moment, Veronika's approach soon leads elsewhere and whatunfolds is what, in my measly little opinion, is the best movie I haveseen in years. My only gripe is it was too short. I kept looking at mywatch and wishing time would slow down. This movie could've been twiceas long; there wasn't a dull moment.I also noticed some people saying Veronika's character was void ofemotion and it was hard to sympathize with her. On the contrary, assomeone who has witnessed a friend in a somewhat similar suicidalstate, there isn't much room for some over the top Broadway acting.Cold, closed-off and purposely hiding emotions is the reality of thesekinds of situations. I've never been a Sarah Michelle Gellar fan butshe won me over completely as Veronika. She is so believable, real andwith a presence so sincere that it almost seems as if she was born forthis role. It is an Oscar worthy performance if there ever was one -some scenes carrying such an emotional weight that I couldn't help buttear up a little. Everything about this movie is beautiful. I'm donegushing, but seriously see it.

peter07

(2012-04-11 14:42:11)

Disappointing

I read the book and saw the movie in Seoul, and I must say, it wasquite disappointing. So many things were left out (and yes, I know thisoften happens in movies), but I feel the viewer won't get even half ofthe effect of the book by watching the movie.Sarah Michelle Gellar, I think, wasn't the best person for the role ofVeronika. Her performance was rather bland and we don't really feelsorry for her character, but part of this is because of the bad scriptand numerous omissions from the book.To the movie's credit, the scenes with her and Edward are pretty goodand it gets moving toward the end. Yet I think the movie could've beendone so much better.The movie is worth watching but left me wanting.

(2012-04-10 22:00:25)

Quick Question!!!

I had a quick question, Is the dvd able to speak in English? I'm a huge fan for Sarah michelle Gellar, I like have every movie and tv show with her and I've been trying to find a different version of this movie and they were all sold out, so before I buy this I would like to know if it can talk in English Thank you!!!