Personal Velocity: Three Portraits

Personal Velocity is actually three short digital films, a trio of superb character portraits: Delia (Kyra Sedgwick, Something to Talk About, Singles), a former bad girl who musters the will to leave her abusive husband; Greta (Parker Posey, Party Girl, Best in Show), a book editor who finds that success in her career leaves her dissatisfied with her unambitious husband; and Paula (Fairuza Balk, The Craft, Gas Food Lodging), a young woman whose narrow escape from a car accident makes her question her life. With small, deft touches, writer-director Rebecca Miller (Angela) reveals a lot of about who these women are and how they live. Miller's gift for compression turns these short stories into rich examinations of contemporary culture, finding humor as well as pathos in the choices these women face. All three actresses turn in outstanding performances, clearly delighted to embody such well-drawn characters. --Bret Fetzer