Violet

I went into this movie knowing very little about it. That being said this was NOT a movie for me or one I myself would choose to see. By minute 24 of this movie I was already wondering why I had even started watching this. Poor Violet was all I kept thinking. I thought the lead was incredible and I loved her acting in this movie. It felt like the movie just stopped at the end and nothing was really explained or resolved. It was like you had a front row seat into someone's mind but the outcome left you unsatisfied. Maybe this is someone else's cup of tea, just not mine.

Many people suffer from severe anxiety disorders and schizophrenia as well. Many of the scenes were like memories in my own life, feeling insecure and having continuous self talk in your brain. It can be debilitating. Even with medication. I'm a Vice President of a company but I still struggle sometimes. This character that Olivia Munn played FABULOUSLY is a groundbreaking one in a small limited release film. If you DON'T understand this movie, try to imagine what this must be like for someone. It's a real challenge. Cheers to Olivia Munn for her brave and authentic performance. Violet is a character that I will remember.

Some of the reviews here I've read don't make a lot of sense to me. I thought every component of the film worked perfectly. Although I think the situation portrayed is definitely relatable to a lot of women, and the aspects of self-doubt / self-criticism are likely much more deeply ingrained for women in our present society, I could easily relate to this as a male. A lot of us (women and men) have been raised to be people-pleasers and put other people's interests and feelings ahead of our own. I can easily relate to hearing the voice and seeing the internal thoughts and stopping myself from doing the things that would more likely than not make me happier. And it made sense for the voice to be a male because regardless of who may have been the influence on you when you were young, the voice of society telling us to keep things under wraps is most definitely patriarchal. I have friends who I see doing the exact same thing in their day-to-day lives to whom I plan to recommend this film. Overall, I think this film was very empowering and important in that a lot of people can hopefully learn something from it. And if you walked away thinking this movie was pointless or that it was just a "Hallmark romance," maybe you're one of those people who so often takes advantage of people like Violet in this world.

The script and the artistic vision for how to present this story, both the responsibility of Justine Bateman, were brilliant. Acting by Olivia Munn was perfect. Supporting cast more than adequate. Pacing is strong, selection of locations easily makes up for low set decoration budget. Story packs an emotional wallop without losing a sense of irony and humor. Left me feeling I'd rather see ten movies like this than one 200 million dollar CGI-filled action epic. Well done all around.

I have to say after seeing it was written and directed by Justine Bateman I had to check out the flick. Big fan of younger brother Jason and always admired Justine, I knew I would not be disappointed. To me this was indicative of her early success and probably not living up to a more stellar career put pen to paper and great direction came up with this gem of a movie. Doubt, fear, anxiety, second guessing, childhood abuse, abandonment, neglect, and all the things associated with not feeling worthy enough is all shown here. Great cast of characters along with the entire back story made it all interesting. Kudos to Ms. Bateman...