ALi Adk

Compelling drama. Fabulous cast & visceral acting. Gritty locations and graphic plotting. Andrea Riseborough reigns supreme!

All the actors give wonderful performances of the material in the film DIANE, starring Mary Kay Place. My slight disappointment is with the writing - which left out key story elements that would have provided small emotional and visual relief from what was, for me, an overwhelmingly gray, dark and depressing film at first viewing. I had to watch it over two days, in two segments because the subject hit too close to home without graciously lifting me up out of it for even 30 seconds here and there, to show that in reality we have at-will many birds-eye-views of all the colorful seasons and all of our memories, when in balance - are truly lifesaving. My heart wants so much to see to DIANE’s tiny treasure troves of joy hidden away, and my eyes longed for a beautiful - even momentary- contrast to DIANE’s current dismissal mood. Where are the flashback scenes of she and her lover laughing? Where is a sweet scene of wee son Brian running on the seashore with his happy carefree mom? Where is youthful Diane reciting an original poem at a coffeehouse with smiles of appreciation? A woman like DIANE,- self-sacrificing, doting, disintegrating into a withered state of non-self, persevering through self-appointed duty, this woman does not spontaneously manifest. She is born striving, vigorous, hopeful, aspiring, cheerfully in love with life. Disappointment and perverse arbitrary punishment by beloveds closest to her exacts a whipping, which ultimately becomes automatic & internal - this angst keeps her down. I wish we could see early life-glimpses of DIANE before her practiced hypnotic default to self-flagellation. That said, every mother over age-60 viewing this film, myself included, refuses to forget our own juicy memories. Our own youthful innocence, our hopes & dreams which fill in the delicate beginnings of our life panorama, which is what makes this film so relatable. DIANE is an all too common tragedy. This film asks us the question we all contemplate: “ After all I have done in life, or not done in life.... do I deserve to be happy ?” We watch ourselves in DIANE and say resoundingly: “Yes, DIANE, you do, you do, of course you do!” —————————————-.