Review:

With artwork reminiscent of the great Dario Argento, in particular DEEP RED' it is quite surprising that this film has as much in common with SUSPIRIA than it has that film but VERONICA is far from being a homage to the master.

 

Cavalera has his own voice and uses this film to make both an artistic and a social statement. Looking at the film itself as simply that, the director wastes none of the fifteen minute running time as he introduces us to Veronica, an aspiring ballet dancer filled with hope and innocence as she makes her way home from practice only to be attacked by a predatory alcoholic leaving not only physical but also emotional scars which she silently holds onto as she retreats into herself until, in her own mental solitude, she takes her life in a scene that is perfectly scored and emotionally effective.

 

The use of light throughout the opening third is competent, with the film preferring the almost now predictable blue and red filters - and it is probably from these little touches, along with the doll motif that draws the Argento comparisons - while several shots display a strong level of talent that will serve the director and/or cinematographer well in their later career.

 

All of this takes place merely in the first act and the film shifts genre ever so slightly as it enters the second phase focusing now on the perpetrator and not the victim. But there is no attempt at justification here nor is there any legal justice. Rather the rapist is tormented by a mysterious person, or being culminating in a brutal ending that is at odds with the uneasy tension generated in the previous scenes yet compliments the brutal nature of the villains crime.

 

And while VERONICA displays some 'giallo' artistic flourishes in its composition and artwork, which have been a central point in attracting attention so far, this film is about innocence and vengeance with a supernatural bent and so may mislead those coming in expecting a contemporary, truncated DEEP RED.

 

Now I said that Cavalera (and consequently or perhaps more definitively screenwriter Miriam Imbrogno) make a social statement in this film, we can clearly say that it is about violence against women, but exploring the post-event suffering of the victim and her family before the retribution arrives. One of the things that I liked most about this film was it's ability to convey much more than what was spoken. This lends the film some real depth as we share moments with both the victim and the criminal, feeling sympathy for one and disgust at the other.

 

Director Cavalera and writer Imbrogno have a strong future ahead of them based on this short film and we can't wait for their next project.

Follow the film on Facebook and the official website.

 

Version Reviewed:

We reviewed an online screener. Watch the trailer below.