Violet & Daisy

Last updated
Violet & Daisy
Violet-and-daisy-poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Geoffrey Fletcher
Written byGeoffrey Fletcher
Produced byGeoffrey Fletcher
Bonnie Timmermann
Starring Saoirse Ronan
Alexis Bledel
James Gandolfini
Danny Trejo
Marianne Jean-Baptiste
CinematographyVanja Cernjul
Edited by Joe Klotz
Music by Paul Cantelon
Production
companies
Magic Violet
GreeneStreet Films
Distributed by Cinedigm Entertainment
Release dates
  • September 15, 2011 (2011-09-15)(Toronto International Films Festival)
  • June 7, 2013 (2013-06-07)(United States)
Running time
88 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$8 million
Box office$108,139 [1]

Violet & Daisy is a 2011 American crime comedy-drama film written, produced, and directed by Geoffrey Fletcher in his directorial debut. The film stars Saoirse Ronan, Alexis Bledel, Danny Trejo, Marianne Jean-Baptiste, and James Gandolfini in one of his last acting roles before his death on June 19, 2013. Supporting roles are performed by John Ventimiglia, Danny Hoch, and Tatiana Maslany. Violet & Daisy follows two teenage assassins named Violet and Daisy who accept what they think will be a quick-and-easy job, until an unexpected target throws them off their plan.

Contents

Violet & Daisy was released on September 15, 2011, at the Toronto International Film Festival and was given a limited theatrical release on June 7, 2013. Geoffrey S. Fletcher credits Pulp Fiction , Superbad , and Thelma & Louise as inspiration for this film.

Violet & Daisy was also adapted for the stage and performed at The New School in 2019.

Plot

Violet and Daisy are a pair of gum-chewing young assassins who casually snuff out crime figures in New York City, distracted only by the fact that a concert by their favorite pop idol Barbie Sunday has suddenly been canceled.

Determined to raise cash to buy a pair of the newest Barbie Sunday dresses, the duo takes on a new hit job offered to them by their handler Russ. The target is a mysterious unnamed loner who stole from rival boss, Donnie. A sudden and unexpected empathy after finding out about their quite unusual mark's pancreatic cancer and the estrangement from his daughter leads the two girls into an unexpected journey of self-examination, catapulting the junior enforcers into a world beyond their deadly routine, all while encountering dangerous foes such as rival boss Donnie's crew of hitmen and rapists or the legendary assassin simply known as Number 1, who's said to have once killed three ninjas with a fingernail file.

Cast

Production

Bruce Willis was considered for the role of The Guy before James Gandolfini was cast. Carey Mulligan was originally cast in the role of Violet but opted to do Drive instead, so she dropped out. She was replaced by Alexis Bledel. [2]

Principal photography and filming mainly took place in New York City, New York. [3]

According to a bankruptcy trustee overseeing the unwinding of Geoffrey's brother Alphonse Fletcher Jr.'s Fletcher Asset Management hedge fund, $8 million from the fund was used to finance the Violet & Daisy production. [4]

Release

The film first premiered at the Toronto International Films Festival on September 15, 2011, and received its first limited theatrical release on June 7, 2013, with its widest release being 17 theaters. [5]

Home media

Violet & Daisy was released for home distribution on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on November 19, 2013, with the only special features being a theatrical trailer and a poster slideshow. [6]

Reception

Box office

In its opening weekend Violet & Daisy grossed $9,982. The film ended its theatrical run with a total domestic gross of $17,186. Internationally, the film grossed an additional $90,953 for a worldwide total of $108,139. [5]

Critical reception

Violet & Daisy received generally negative reviews with many critics complaining that it was yet another Quentin Tarantino-type knock-off. The film garnered a 22% percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 50 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Arch and too cute by half, Violet & Daisy cycles through too many bad ideas to make use of Alexis Bledel and Saoirse Ronan's combined talents." [7] Violet & Daisy received a 43 out of 100 on the website Metacritic. [8]

Matt Zoller Seitz of RogerEbert.com gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, stating "Gandolfini's quietly magnificent performance is the only reason to see 'Violet & Daisy,' a thriller that might as well have been released in 1996, when everybody and their brother and their sister and their cousin twice-removed was trying to be Quentin Tarantino, writing screenplays about loquacious hit men and gangsters and molls delivering cutesy monologues in wacky, not-quite-real universes". [9] A. O. Scott of The New York Times wrote, "We don't feel the weight and menace of death, nor the volatile emotions of youth, and have nothing to respond to beyond the spectacle of girls with guns". [10] Christopher Campbell of Film School Rejects gave the movie a B− grade and wrote, "Hardly a follow-up that will have [Fletcher] garnering more awards. Not because it's bad; it's just really cartoony, as in artificial, two-dimensional and rather childish". [11] Stephanie Merry of The Washington Post gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, stating, "The film's subtle visual allure is all but stamped out by the impression that the director tries too hard to be an idiosyncratic auteur in the vein of Quentin Tarantino". [12]

In contrast, Cammila Collar of TV Guide gave the film 3 out of 4 stars, commenting "Violet & Daisy is a cool movie. It's strange and ambitious and affecting and extremely well-acted throughout a thoroughly esoteric script". [13] Jeffrey M. Anderson of Common Sense Media gave the film 3 out of 5 stars stating "Though it can't keep up that kind of energy throughout, especially as it's set mostly in one room, it's charming enough – and short enough – that there are no hard feelings". [14]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Tarantino</span> American filmmaker (born 1963)

Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American filmmaker, actor, and author. His films are characterized by stylized violence, extended dialogue often featuring much profanity, and references to popular culture. His work has earned a cult following alongside critical and commercial success; he has been named by some as the single most influential director of his generation and has received numerous awards and nominations, including two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and four Golden Globe Awards.

<i>Reservoir Dogs</i> 1992 American crime film by Quentin Tarantino

Reservoir Dogs is a 1992 American crime film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino in his feature-length debut. It stars Harvey Keitel, Tim Roth, Chris Penn, Steve Buscemi, Lawrence Tierney, Michael Madsen, Tarantino, and Edward Bunker as diamond thieves whose heist of a jewelry store goes terribly wrong. Kirk Baltz, Randy Brooks, and Steven Wright also play supporting roles. The film incorporates many motifs that have become Tarantino's hallmarks: violent crime, pop culture references, profanity, and nonlinear storytelling.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alexis Bledel</span> Latin-American actress and model (born 1981)

Kimberly Alexis Bledel is an American actress and model. She is best known for her roles as Rory Gilmore on the television series Gilmore Girls (2000–2007) and Emily Malek in The Handmaid's Tale (2017–2021). Bledel also had a recurring role in Mad Men in 2012 and reprised her role as Rory Gilmore in the Netflix revival Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life (2016).

<i>True Romance</i> 1993 film by Tony Scott

True Romance is a 1993 American romantic crime film directed by Tony Scott and written by Quentin Tarantino. It features an ensemble cast led by Christian Slater and Patricia Arquette, with Dennis Hopper, Val Kilmer, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt, and Christopher Walken in supporting roles. Slater and Arquette portray newlyweds on the run from the Mafia after stealing a shipment of drugs.

<i>Grindhouse</i> (film) 2007 double feature consisting of Planet Terror and Death Proof

Grindhouse is a 2007 American double bill. It consists of two films, Planet Terror, a horror comedy written and directed by Robert Rodriguez, about a group of survivors who battle zombie-like creatures, and Death Proof, a slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, about a murderous stuntman who kills young women with modified vehicles. The former stars Rose McGowan, Freddy Rodriguez, Michael Biehn, Jeff Fahey, Josh Brolin, and Marley Shelton; the latter stars Kurt Russell, Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Zoë Bell. Grindhouse pays homage to exploitation films of the 1970s, with its title deriving from the now-defunct theaters that would show such films. As part of its theatrical presentation, Grindhouse also features fictitious exploitation trailers directed by Rodriguez, Rob Zombie, Edgar Wright, Eli Roth, and Jason Eisener.

<i>Death Proof</i> 2007 American film

Death Proof is a 2007 American slasher film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Kurt Russell as a stuntman who murders young women with modified cars he purports to be "death-proof". Rosario Dawson, Vanessa Ferlito, Jordan Ladd, Rose McGowan, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, Tracie Thoms, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Zoë Bell co-star as the women he targets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saoirse Ronan</span> American-born Irish actress (born 1994)

Saoirse Una Ronan is an American-born Irish actress. Primarily known for her work in period dramas since adolescence, she has received various accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for four Academy Awards and five British Academy Film Awards.

<i>City of Ember</i> 2008 film by Gil Kenan

City of Ember is a 2008 American science fantasy adventure film based on the 2003 novel The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau. Directed by Gil Kenan in his live-action directorial debut, the film stars Saoirse Ronan, Harry Treadaway, Bill Murray, Mackenzie Crook, Martin Landau, Mary Kay Place, Toby Jones, and Tim Robbins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot Robbie</span> Australian actress and producer (born 1990)

Margot Elise Robbie is an Australian actress and producer. Her work includes both blockbuster and independent films, and her accolades include nominations for three Academy Awards, six BAFTA Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. Time named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2017, and Forbes named her the world's highest-paid actress in 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geoffrey S. Fletcher</span> American screenwriter and film director (born 1970)

Geoffrey Shawn Fletcher is an American screenwriter and film director. Fletcher is best known for being the screenwriter of Precious, for which he received the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, becoming the first African American to receive an Academy Award for writing. In September 2010, Fletcher began shooting Violet & Daisy in New York City based on his original script as his directorial debut. It was released in a limited theatrical run in June 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greta Gerwig</span> American actress and filmmaker (born 1983)

Greta Celeste Gerwig is an American actress, screenwriter, and film director. Initially known for working on various mumblecore films, she has since expanded from acting in and co-writing independent films to directing major studio films. Gerwig was included in the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world in 2018.

<i>Hanna</i> (film) 2011 film by Joe Wright

Hanna is a 2011 action thriller film directed by Joe Wright. The film stars Saoirse Ronan as the titular character, a girl raised in the wilderness of northern Finland by her father, an ex-CIA operative, who trains her as an assassin. Cate Blanchett portrays a senior CIA agent who tries to track down and eliminate the girl and her father. The soundtrack was written by The Chemical Brothers.

<i>Django Unchained</i> 2012 American Western film by Quentin Tarantino

Django Unchained is a 2012 American revisionist Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino, starring Jamie Foxx, Christoph Waltz, Leonardo DiCaprio, Kerry Washington, and Samuel L. Jackson, with Walton Goggins, Dennis Christopher, James Remar, Michael Parks, and Don Johnson in supporting roles. Set in the Antebellum South and Old West, it is a highly stylized, revisionist tribute to spaghetti Westerns. Its title refers particularly to the 1966 Italian film Django by Sergio Corbucci. The story follows a slave who trains under a German bounty hunter with the ultimate goal of reuniting with his wife.

<i>From Dusk till Dawn</i> (franchise) American media horror franchise created by Robert Kurtzman

From Dusk till Dawn is an American media franchise created by Robert Kurtzman, including three films, a video game and a TV series.

<i>How I Live Now</i> (film) 2013 romantic speculative drama film

How I Live Now is a 2013 romantic speculative drama film based on the 2004 novel of the same name by Meg Rosoff. It was directed by Kevin Macdonald, written by Tony Grisoni, Jeremy Brock and Penelope Skinner while starring Saoirse Ronan, George MacKay, Tom Holland, Harley Bird, Anna Chancellor and Corey Johnson. The film centres around American teenager, Daisy and her British cousins, Eddie (MacKay), Isaac (Holland), and Piper (Bird), as they try to reunite during an apocalyptic nuclear war.

<i>Brooklyn</i> (film) 2015 film directed by John Crowley

Brooklyn is a 2015 romantic period drama film directed by John Crowley and written by Nick Hornby, based on the 2009 novel by Colm Tóibín. A co-production between the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Canada, it stars Saoirse Ronan in the lead role, with Emory Cohen, Domhnall Gleeson, Jim Broadbent, and Julie Walters in supporting roles. The plot follows Eilis Lacey, a young Irishwoman who immigrates to Brooklyn in the early 1950s to find employment. After building a life there, she is drawn back to her home town of Enniscorthy and has to choose where she wants to forge her future. Principal photography began in April 2014 with three weeks of filming in Ireland, which were followed by four weeks in Montreal, Quebec; only two days of filming took place in Brooklyn, one of which was spent at the beach in Coney Island.

<i>The Hateful Eight</i> 2015 American film by Quentin Tarantino

The Hateful Eight is a 2015 American Western film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. It stars Samuel L. Jackson, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Demián Bichir, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, and Bruce Dern as eight dubious strangers who seek refuge from a blizzard in a stagecoach stopover some time after the American Civil War.

<i>Lady Bird</i> (film) 2017 film by Greta Gerwig

Lady Bird is a 2017 American coming-of-age comedy drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig in her solo directorial debut, starring Saoirse Ronan, Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts, Lucas Hedges, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Lois Smith. Set in Sacramento, California from fall 2002 to fall 2003, it focuses on a high school senior who shares a turbulent relationship with her mother.

<i>Once Upon a Time in Hollywood</i> 2019 film by Quentin Tarantino

Once Upon a Time...in Hollywood is a 2019 comedy-drama film written and directed by Quentin Tarantino. Produced by Columbia Pictures, Bona Film Group, Heyday Films, and Visiona Romantica and distributed by Sony Pictures, it is a co-production between the United States, United Kingdom, and China. It features a large ensemble cast led by Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie. Set in 1969 Los Angeles, the film follows a fading actor and his stunt double as they navigate the rapidly changing film industry, with the threat of the Tate murders looming.

<i>Little Women</i> (2019 film) 2019 American film by Greta Gerwig

Little Women is a 2019 American coming-of-age period drama film written and directed by Greta Gerwig. It is the seventh film adaptation of the 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott. It chronicles the lives of the March sisters—Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—in Concord, Massachusetts, during the 19th century. It stars an ensemble cast consisting of Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen, Laura Dern, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk, James Norton, Louis Garrel, and Chris Cooper.

References

  1. ↑ "Violet & Daisy". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved 9 January 2022.
  2. ↑ "James Gandolfini in 'Violet and Daisy,' Carey Mulligan is Out". FirstShowing.Net. September 13, 2010. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  3. ↑ Fine, Marshall (June 2, 2013). "'Violet & Daisy' stars took the movie's violence in stride while filming all over New York". New York Daily News . Archived from the original on September 17, 2013. Retrieved March 20, 2014.
  4. ↑ Abrams, Rachel (February 24, 2014). "Pension Funds Sue on a Deal Gone Cold". The New York Times .
  5. 1 2 "Violet & Daisy". Box Office Mojo .
  6. ↑ "Violet & Daisy home media release". Blu-ray.com. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Violet & Daisy". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved December 9, 2023.
  8. ↑ "Violet & Daisy". Metacritic . Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  9. ↑ Zoller Seitz, Matt (June 7, 2013). "Violet & Daisy". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  10. ↑ Scott, A.O. (June 7, 2013). "Young Femmes Fatales, Doing Their Job". The New York Times. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  11. ↑ Campbell, Christopher (June 7, 2013). "Review: 'Violet & Daisy' is a Cute But Too Cartoonish Take on the Concept of Kickass Little Girls". FilmSchoolRejects.com. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  12. ↑ Merry, Stephanie (June 6, 2013). "'Violet & Daisy' movie review". The Washington Post . Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  13. ↑ Collar, Cammila. "Violet & Daisy Review". TVGuide.com. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
  14. ↑ Anderson, Jeffrey M. "Violet & Daisy Review". commonsensemedia.org. Retrieved November 23, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.