Diane Keaton is a film about the anti-romanticism of being a muse. Of the impracticality of being sung or written about and the muse lacking the “physical” presence of the artist.
Anastasia works very hard and has reached a point when she has just about had enough of her artistic partner, Odysseas. Who spends his days reading and writing, but not finishing anything, not doing anything concrete.
One day, when she comes home and finds the bathroom leaking, she asks him to find a way to fix it – or call a plumber. He does not do it and that is the drop that spills the glass (pun intended) as all of her struggles and tiredness collide, and her and Odysseas argue.
FemmeFilmFest20 Interview: Georgia Michailidi and her short film ‘Diane Keaton’
Time seems to stop for Anastasia. Or run very slowly. Or very fast. As she is by herself at their shared place, she seems to be doing a lot of thinking – perhaps about their relationship, what it meant, or about her future plans for herself. The lighting changed and a surreal mood envelops her.
The next day, Odysseas is back and does not seem to be bothered that much about the previous argument. However, this time the sink is fixed, and Anastasia does not require him anymore.
Diane Keaton was written and directed by Georgia Michailidi, and it is her debut short film. It is entertaining and draws the audiences in. The comic and the dramatic of the story arise from short and snappy exchanges of words and from the metaphor of the leaking sink. Which seems to pull the threads of the intrigue and knot them tightly.
FemmeFilmFest20 Interview: Daphne Lazou, Director of Photography on ‘Diane Keaton’
The chromatic is simple, but at times alluding to a dream world – one where the muse rules over everything. However, lights become less colourful as regular life and reality take over the ethereal dream world.
Even though at first glance it might seem underdeveloped, the story is there and does draw the audience in. The writer’s touch is light, as they ask the audience to pay attention to the dialogue and the setting and to draw their own opinions. The muse-artist relationship could have been emphasised more, as at first Anastasia seemed to play the critic’s role for Odysseas. Nevertheless, we are introduced to their relationship at the moment when it is at its most fragile and about to end, so that can be glossed over.
This is a good debut film which predicts a style that is on its way to mature as the writer-director goes on to work on future projects. It is fitting that the film comes from a Greek team, as the muse-artist relationship has been explored intensely in Greek visual and written art.
