ambrakay I was not expecting much, and I was blown away. I completely understand Veronika's outlook, her reasoning, and the logic behind her emotional state. Listening to her narration at the beginning of the movie is like hearing my spoken thoughts. As the movie progresses, it wanes a bit, but never completely falls off the radar. Then, the twist is revealed, and it's brilliant.Please hear this: if you've ever been successful, single and struggled with severe depression, this is a must see. You will find Veronika's (Gellar) character to be incredibly relatable, and by the end, you'll gain perspective in ways you never have before.

RyanCShowers BY RYAN C. SHOWERSThe cinematic year has a specific formula it follows in order for films to extract the biggest financial profit possible or to compete in the winter award season. Summers are an optimal time to release studio blockbusters, in particular superhero adaptations, and the fall through winter is dominated by critically extolled projects, hunting for prestigious industry prizes. During the dawn of a new year, the movie theater is a desolate place to spend your time and money. Until 2015 straps on its brawny filmmaking gear, a prolific amount of entertaining movies will not be found at the cinema. But there are always alternatives. One project that skipped a theatrical run that is newly available via Amazon Instant Video or On Demand is "Veronika Decides to Die," something that could fill your need for a compelling, artful piece of film."Veronika Decides to Die" tells a story of redemption in a mercilessly raw way, through the eyes of Veronika Deklava, a young woman living in New York City. Veronika is talented, attractive, financially stable, and has parents who love her, yet after opening the film with a cynical view on a life that may lie ahead of her, she decides to overdose on sleeping pills with clear attempts of killing herself. Fate undercuts Veronika's plans when she wakes up strapped to a hospital bed days after her attempt at taking her own life. Dr. Blake greets Veronika, welcoming her to Villette, a privately funded psychiatric facility. He informs her that her suicide attempt was not completely unsuccessful: Her heart is not able to withstand long-term survival, and it will stop beating within the next week.The events behind the film's release are disheartening, especially after seeing the substance and quality "Veronika Decides to Die" brings to the table. It was developed based on Paulo Coelho's revered novel, but was updated to be more accessible to American audiences. The independently financed "Veronika Decides to Die" was released in many European countries in 2009 and 2010, but unfortunately never found theatrical distribution in the United States. You probably have never heard of "Veronika Decides to Die," but accredit that to a bizarre mishap in the system, not any lapse in the film's quality."Veronika Decides to Die" was not made with the nuts and bolts of bigger-budgeted projects; therefore it moves in a slower velocity, which effectively unites the cinematic version of the fable more innately with the internally detailed novel. Director Emily Young envisions the film differently than had it been directed by a man; there's a powerful sense of poetry rooted in this tale because of the way Young merges the shots together, specifically with help from the cinematographer and composer. Individually, their efforts may not look formidable, but together their simple intentions assemble something beautiful.After the legendary success of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," Sarah Michelle Gellar shifted gears in her career for several years, perusing smaller films that she felt more passionate about. "Veronika Decides to Die" was the last of Gellar's several attempts to break free as a more sophisticated actress, and it's an incredible acting performance that allows her to reconstruct herself as an artist. Affecting, psychological, and authentic, this is the kind of performance that would reconfigure the way Gellar is viewed in the industry.Gracefully undertaking the life-affirming messages and potent themes that Coehlo expressed in his 1998 novel, the film asks us questions about life, the way we see ourselves, and the limits we often set which often impede on our happiness. The screenplay by Larry Gross makes this story's transition from page to screen smooth and cogent. It will capture you from the grimmer introductory scenes to the uplifting climax.It is available through Amazon, Amazon Instant Video, and Video On Demand.* * * * / * * * *Grade: A

TxMike Found it on Netflix streaming movies.Sarah Michelle Gellar, about 30 when this was filmed, is New York career woman Veronika Deklava. The opening scene is just her among thousands of others taking the train to work, as we hear her thoughts. They are mundane, she will continue to work the way her parents expect her to, she will meet a guy some day, they will marry, perhaps have children, he will cheat on her because she works too much, she will try to overlook it. With that kind of jaded outlook it is no wonder that when she gets home she lines up her various drugs in overdose mode and downs them with booze.Of course she sent a farewell email so medics are sent to her home and they break into her apartment. When she awakes, in a medical facility, she has been in a coma for some time, her heart had stopped, and in the process generated an aneurysm that was inoperable and her time alive was limited, she had maybe a day, maybe a week to live, no one could be certain.So she settles in at this facility, run by a Psychiatrist that tries to get her to open up, try to be joyous. But my own thoughts were, if she tried to kill herself, and now has a very short time anyway, why bother?The break comes when she identifies with the pain of another patient, Jonathan Tucker as Edward, depressed and mute since an auto accident that killed his girlfriend. On a whim Veronika uncovers the old piano and plays classical music she was trained for, Edward seems to respond. Maybe she can now see purpose in her existence?All the actors are good, and Brit David Thewlis plays the Psychiatrist Dr. Blake. It is a slow-moving movie but also very nice if one has the patience to see it all the way through, as critical scenes don't come until near the end.SPOILERS: The hospital, near the Hudson River outside the city, is not voluntary and patients can't leave by their own volition. But after Veronika and Edward no longer want to be there he leads the two of them on an escape, find a train, and head to Manhattan. While they are escaping we learn that Dr. Blake lied about Veronika, using the medical tests of a former patient. She did not have an aneurysm and was not dying soon, he only wanted to try it as a way to spark her interest in living. He resigned and left to visit an old colleague, while Veronika and Edward visited on a park bench. Suddenly she went unresponsive and we think she has died but then she wakes up, she had just been tired, it seems she and Edward may have met their ideal mates and both will overcome their emotional baggage.

hugizz145 OK , let's see ... after you watch this film you could decide what is better , 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 .... but film is not that bad , actually it is a really good film Lets talk about the performances , first we have to say that Sarah Michelle Gellar was wonderful , seriously she was shocking , she really got into the Veronika's skin , she showed a depressed girl with subtle gestures and strong dialogs ..... i always thought that she is underrated as an actress and i was right she is ... but i think that she is such a talented actress and i think that she deserves an Oscar for the performance that she did in this film . Melissa Leo was fabulous as usual .... Erika Christinsen was depressing and cute at the same time ..... David Thewil was good but not really impressive .... and Jonathan Tucker was a little insipid , i think he did not give everything what he had to give.Well , now maybe you are thinking , why does he say that the plot does not go any where ??? , well because in fact this is a short story , i mean that it does not have a lot to tale .... so i felt that the film prolongs a lot the end . But it has a beautiful messages : "live every moment in the best way possible" and "the life is a miracle so do not waste it" . And it is as a self-help film .Now we have to talk about the characters , well you can see how they grow up , and how they find their life purposes .... When i was watching i film i was really impressed of how they changed their personalities , they taught me that happiness can be everywhere , in every time , they inspired me .My conclusion is that it is a film that has to be seen , and that it is one of the best films of the year ..... it gives you a life lesson and it is the most wonderful thing of the whole film , it gave me a life lesson.