Ann Sirot and Raphaël Balboni’s DIANE IN THE LOOP (Un détour par Diane) is an offbeat film, which follows the parallel stories of Diane and her mother as they have to come to terms with the traumas of the past and move on with their lives. It strikes a fine balance between comedy and drama while tackling heavy subjects with humor without trivializing them.
The narrative has fable-like elements such as divine intervention and unlikely coincidences, which might bother some viewers, but they all fit within the overall tone. Julie Roué’s poppy synth score and the handheld visuals with blink-and-you’ll-miss-it jump cuts are also in line with the whimsy of it all. Several inventive and funny sex scenes stand out. Parts of the script perhaps could have been improved, but this is still a unique film that is well worth watching.
