Momentum

Momentum is a 2013 surrealist psychological drama film directed and written by Gonzalo Valencia. It stars Angelle Vincent, Francine Delacroix, and Kevin McGowan, and follows an overworked and unappreciated businesswoman as she slowly descends into madness. It explores themes of grief, mental illness, and fear.

The film entered development in 2010 as an international co-production of the United States (Pacific Motion Pictures), France, and Canada. Casting took place from March to April 2013, and principal photography took place from January to March 2012 in and. The film was initially released on March 29, 2013 in the United States and then on April 5, 2013 in Canada and April 26, 2013 in France. The film received generally positive reviews from critics for its writing, visual effects, and themes.

Plot
Charlene Johnson, a businesswoman working as the chairwoman of Momentum Enterprises, an advertising agency based in. On the surface, Charlene appears strong and in control, as well as living a happy life with her husband Stuart, but beneath her composed demeanor lies a deep well of buried sorrow and unaddressed traumas.

Haunted by the tragic loss of her daughter Marina, Charlene's existence becomes an arduous cycle of a demanding career, estranged familial relationships, and societal pressures, slowly eroding her mental and emotional stability. Overwhelmed by grief, Charlene embarks on a surrealist journey through her psyche, where the boundaries between reality and the deep recesses of her mind begin to blur. Her coworker, Nicole Bernard, sees her crying on the floor in a restroom and attempts to console her, but Charlene pushes her away both figuratively and literally. A mad Nicole then stomps away.

Charlene's mental landscape transforms into a world of vivid symbolism and fragmented memories, where she battles her inner demons and confronts her suppressed fears. Surreal imagery and dreamlike sequences convey the intensity of her experiences, exploring the themes of grief, mental illness, and fear.

Enclosed within her desolate home, Charlene's grip on reality slips further away. She becomes entangled in intricate webs of surreal encounters, each representative of a facet of her own psyche. A mysterious figure reminiscent of her daughter acts as her guide through this subconscious labyrinth, offering guidance and fragmented memories to help Charlene find solace and acceptance of her past.

Yet, as Charlene delves deeper into her own despair, her manageability begins to crumble. Surreal encounters with personifications of her own fears and guilt serve to exacerbate her descent into madness. The line between real and imagined blurs, and Charlene finds herself questioning her very perception of the world around her.

In a climactic moment of self-discovery, Charlene realizes that her strength lies not in suppressing her pain but in embracing it. Overcoming her own fears and mental anguish, she triumphs over her inner turmoil, finding a flicker of hope for a brighter future. As her journey concludes, Charlene emerges with a newfound resilience, ready to confront not only her past but also the oppressive forces that have long held her captive.