Violet (Alexis Bledel) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) are seemingly normal teenagers, aside from the fact that they kill people for a living. Photo by MV Nepenthes LLC, courtesy Cinedigm.
Violet and Daisy are just your average teenage girls on the cusp of discovering the harsh realities of adulthood. But while their obsessions with pop singers and designer dresses seem innocent enough, it turns out these girls have already amassed some unexpected job experience far beyond what most of us will ever include on our resumes. Violet & Daisy, the directorial debut from Precious screenwriter Geoffrey Fletcher, is a dark comedy in which Violet (Alexis Bledel, who looks like a cross between Reese Witherspoon and Emily Blunt) and Daisy (Saoirse Ronan from The Lovely Bones and The Host) earn their spending money by gunning down people on Russ’ (Danny Trejo) hit list.
Reminiscent of Peter Jackson’s demented 1994 drama Heavenly Creatures (replacing Jackson’s surrealism with Tarantino-esque blood and violence), Violet & Daisy follows the two girls on their weirdest hit yet. Unlike most of their targets, Michael (James Gandolfini) not only seems to be expecting to be gunned down, but even seems to welcome it. And the fact that his assassins are Lolita-esque hotties rather than rugged gangsters only makes the situation that much more absurdly amusing. After the girls fall asleep on Michael’s couch waiting for him to arrive, they wake up to a guy who has gently covered them with a blanket, then offers to bake them cookies.
Daisy (Saoirse Ronan) and Violet (Alexis Bledel) have a rare nonviolent moment in "Violet & Daisy". Photo by MV Nepenthes LLC, courtesy Cinedigm.
“We’re not here to clean your bathtub or organize your closets or make you happy,” says Violet while aiming a gun at Michael. “We’re here to kill you.” His lack of concern causes hesitation on their part, allowing an odd relationship to develop. Violet and Daisy want to know why Michael is calmly awaiting his demise while Michael is curious how two young girls ended up being the ones on the other side of the guns. But with a rival gang on its way for its own hit on Michael, there’s no time for hesitation.
The odd tension of the situation, coupled with the obviously mixed morals of everyone involved, makes for some darkly hilarious moments. But with Michael’s longing for his estranged daughter and the lack of positive parental figures in the lives of Violet and Daisy, a grotesque bond is formed that makes the inevitability of it all rather touching. There’s a delicate balance between comedy and tragedy at the heart of Violet & Daisy that Fletcher and the cast achieve rather adeptly. When it comes down to it, anything involving gun-toting girls and Danny Trejo is sure to be fun. But rather than coming across as gratuitous and indulgent, Violet & Daisy provides enough humanity and emotional growth for it to be taken a bit more seriously.