Movie Review – ‘Diane’ (2017) Is A Sad Dream

Director Michael Mongillo’s (Welcome to Earth 2005, Being Michael Madsen 2007) 2017 film, Diane, tells the story of a lonely disabled war veteran named Steve (Jason Alan Smith: Big Bad Wolf 2006, Before I Wake 2016) who becomes obsessed with a woman he found dead in his backyard.

Steve is a seemingly ordinary man who lives a quiet existence. He takes the bus to his job at a machine shop each day, keeps to himself, and doesn’t seem to want to interact with anyone around him. Even the cheerful clerk at the liquor store where he buys a large quantity of alcohol can’t break through to him.

One morning, he wakes up to find the body of a local singer named Diane (Carlee Avers: Hear Me Whisper 2011, Veronica Mars TV series) dumped in his backyard. He is frightened, but also a little fascinated. On impulse, he snaps a picture of her before notifying the police, who are immediately suspicious of him. Even the neighbors profess to have always found him to be a little creepy.

As the police continue to investigate their suspicions, Steve begins to see Diane in his house, as though snapping the picture of her has somehow trapped her spirit behind. Steve soon becomes caught in between reality and the delusions of his mind.

I’d like to take a moment to discuss the overall feel of the film, which did such an incredible job creating a unique juxtaposition between Steve’s lonely, insular world and his actual reality. Real life was shot in warm, sunny, rich tones of browns, reds, and blues. Steve’s dream world is a dark, shadowy black and white. The low and moody soundtrack is an especially nice addition to round out this film.

The acting is solid, with Steve fluctuating with ease between the quiet, withdrawn version of himself and the warm, caring soul he could be with Diane. Carlee Avers does a great job as Diane, radiating the only warmth in an otherwise cold and bleak film.

Overall, Diane is a sad story about the human connections that we long for in this world, and how no matter how hard we close ourselves off to those connections, we still have a natural human longing for them. These connections can last even beyond death itself.