Review of Violet & Daisy (2011) by Nicole V — 28 Aug 2014

I don't see what the problem is. It's funny in a way, because a few months before I watched this I watched "Ginger & Rosa," another female best friends film, which has quite a few similarities to Violet & Daisy but is still very different.

Whereas Ginger & Rosa is a quiet, slow film that forces us to soak in the depth of life's mundane moments, Violet & Daisy is somewhat the opposite--the overall arc is slow moving, because the majority of the film takes place in a single day, but the editing, dialogue, and direction make this film fast-paced.

Some may argue this film is light on character development, but I'd say that was intentional. The character development is in the little things--the symbolism, the quiet moments, the mis-en-scene.

The first two thirds are great, but it's in the last third of the movie when things really take off performance-wise, and you realize that this film was woefully under-appreciated by critics. And yes, the performances are what redeemed this movie.

But even if the performances were crappy, the direction and cinematography alone make it worth watching. Every shot is carefully planned. There's a lot of balance and symmetry throughout, and whenever there isn't any, that's when we get deeper insights into who Violet and Daisy are as individuals.

I suppose I'm somewhat easy to please, but each time I watch this movie, I find something new to think about. If you're looking for a movie that's packed with action and has a complicated storyline, you won't find it here.

But if you enjoy character studies, the colors blue and red, and songs from the 1970s, gives this a shot. (Pun intended.).