This is a little gem, fairly understated but brilliantly done. The film centres on the life of Diana, frequently jumping from her wayward teenage years (a feisty Evan Rachel Wood) to 15 years later (now a thoroughly miserable Uma Thurman). As Uma Thurman's Diana spends much of her time moping and looking pensive, it's down to Evan Rachel Wood to win the audience over and make us care about the character.
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| The two Dianas |
The premise is that something terrible happened as Diana's high school that turned the rebellious teen in to a melancholy adult. It transpires that Diana's attempt to save her own skin resulted in the death of Maureen (Eva Amurri Martino), her best friend and committed Christian. Diana's guilt is emphasised by the hollowness of the life Diana has made for herself (advertising for the film describes it as "idyllic", it isn't).
Subtlety is key in this film. There are motifs of flowers (especially crushed ones) and water, and it touches on issues such as abortion, motherhood, love, shaping our future selves and morality in general. There are some recurring lines which strike a chord, the most notable being Diana's science teacher's insistence that "the heart is the strongest muscle" (which leads the ever emotional teenage Diana to wail that hers isn't). The two plot strands are cleverly juxtaposed, and although initially we accept this as just rather arty we realise something is wrong when the two worlds begin colliding. This feeling of unease leads us into a truly unexpected and emotional climax.
So don't expect any major fireworks from this movie, but in its own underplayed way, it will deliver.
Rating: 8/10
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