Startling Velocity

From breaking point to breakthrough, Personal Velocity leaves most traces of sappiness behind as it tracks the progression of three young women--Delia, Greta and Paula (Kyra Sedgewick, Parker Posey and Fairuza Balk, respectively)--as they attempt to endure grave circumstances. Director Rebecca Miller (daughter of playwright Arthur Miller) adapted the screenplay from three short stories she published several years ago and has cut up her film into three vignettes--each following a different character.

The harsh visual clarity of the scenes is due to the financial necessity of filming on Digital Video, keeping the picture slightly grainy and dull. What could have been perceived as a potential pitfall is transformed into a boon, as the technique seems more true-to-life than the Technicolor brightness of most films--the rough, seemingly "uncut" scenes create a sharply private view into the characters' worlds with a piercing, almost documentary realism.

The enduring beauty of the film, however, lies in the great tie among the three otherwise unrelated women. Neither bogged down by pessimism nor overly cheerful, Velocity proves that each woman can find her own balance regardless of past transgressions.