top of page
Check back soon
Once posts are published, you’ll see them here.
Search

Movies: Diorama (2022) by Tuva Novotny: A Scientific Dissection of Modern Relationships

  • Writer: dailyentertainment95
    dailyentertainment95
  • Sep 20
  • 6 min read

A Raw Look at Love's Evolution

Diorama is a Swedish film directed and written by Tuva Novotny. It is a relationship drama that offers a unique and scientific perspective on the breakdown of a marriage. The film follows the love story of Frida (Pia Tjelta) and Björn (David Dencik), charting their journey from passionate romance to the exhaustion of married life with children, and ultimately, to divorce. The narrative is punctuated by educational, diorama-like scenes that use a voiceover and actors in animal costumes to explain the biological and sociological underpinnings of human mating and monogamy.

Why to Watch This Movie: A Thought-Provoking and Unconventional Relationship Study

  • Honest and Relatable Portrait of Marriage: The film provides a brutally honest depiction of a long-term relationship, moving beyond the idealized romance of the beginning to show the mundane, and often painful, realities of balancing work, family, and personal desires. It is a realistic portrayal that many viewers, particularly those in long-term relationships, will find relatable, even if it is an uncomfortable watch.

  • Unique Narrative Approach: The use of scientific "dioramas" to frame the emotional drama is an experimental and unconventional choice. While polarizing for some, this creative approach elevates the story from a simple domestic drama into a broader commentary on human nature and the institution of marriage itself. It adds a layer of intellectual curiosity to a deeply personal story.

  • Strong Central Performances: Despite the mixed reception to the film's format, the lead actors, Pia Tjelta and David Dencik, are consistently praised for their compelling and realistic performances. They convincingly portray a couple who were once deeply in love but are now miserable, bringing a raw humanity to their characters' struggles.

What is the Trend Followed: The Scientific Deconstruction of Human Nature

Diorama follows a trend of films that use a non-traditional, often academic or scientific, lens to explore complex human emotions and societal constructs.

  • The film employs a format that is part relationship drama and part educational documentary, using scientific interludes to dissect the central couple's emotional journey.

  • This trend moves away from purely emotional or psychological narratives to ground human behavior in evolutionary and biological terms, inviting the audience to question whether societal norms, like monogamy, align with our fundamental nature.

Director's Vision: Experimenting with Form to Unearth Truth

  • A Multi-Faceted Exploration: Director Tuva Novotny's vision was to explore the complexities of monogamy by combining an intimate, character-driven drama with a detached, scientific analysis. She takes a risk by constantly shifting the tone, moving from heartfelt, painful conversations between the couple to quirky, narrated scenes featuring actors dressed as animals.

  • Questioning the Institution of Marriage: The director's choice to structure the film this way is a deliberate attempt to make a grand statement about love, marriage, and identity. Novotny's vision is not just to tell a story about one couple, but to question whether the institution of marriage is a natural human state or a social construct, and whether its failure is a personal one or a systemic one.

Themes: A Triptych of Love, Loss, and Biological Drives

  • The Unraveling of Passion: The central theme is the decay of passion and the disillusionment that can set in after years of marriage and family responsibilities. The film contrasts the initial fiery romance with the later, soul-crushing routine of work and childcare, highlighting how external pressures can erode the very foundation of a relationship.

  • The Nature of Monogamy: A core theme is the exploration of monogamy itself. Through the scientific dioramas, the film presents the idea that human monogamy may be less a natural state and more of a socially conditioned behavior. It challenges the romanticized notion of "happily ever after" and provokes a discussion about whether we are biologically wired for a single partner.

  • Individual Identity within a Partnership: The film explores the loss of individual identity within a couple. Frida and Björn become defined by their roles as parents and providers, and the narrative questions what remains of their former selves and their initial connection once those roles take over.

Key Success Factors: Powerful Acting in an Uneven Film

  • The performances of Pia Tjelta and David Dencik are the film's greatest strength. They bring a profound sense of realism and vulnerability to their characters, making their struggles feel authentic and emotionally resonant. Their portrayal of a couple growing apart is a key reason many viewers connect with the film despite its structural flaws.

  • The film’s unique concept is its primary hook. While the execution is divisive, the very idea of a scientific examination of a relationship sets it apart from traditional relationship dramas and draws in viewers looking for something different.

  • The film's honesty about the challenges of marriage and parenting resonates with audiences. It avoids clichés and instead presents a raw, unfiltered look at the conflicts, resentments, and emotional distance that can develop over time.

Awards and Nominations: A Niche Acclaim

The film does not appear to have received any major international awards or nominations. It seems to have been primarily a festival film and a Netflix release, gaining attention for its unique concept rather than for industry accolades.

Critics Reception: A Polarizing and Divisive Experiment

  • High On Films: The review criticizes the film's use of scientific interludes, calling them "unnecessary tonal shifts" that "kill the intensity" of the main drama. It labels the film an "uneven, tedious mess" that fails to live up to its promising premise.

  • Ready Steady Cut: The review acknowledges the film is an "uncomfortable watch" and that the scientific asides "disrupt the flow." However, it praises the realistic and humane performances of the lead actors, noting they bring a great deal of authenticity to the characters.

  • OTTplay.com: Giving the film a 2.5/5 rating, the review states that the movie "sacrifices entertainment for life lessons" and that the diorama sequences become "too tedious at times," hampering the storytelling.

Overall, critics were split on the film's unconventional structure. While they generally praised the performances of the lead actors, they found the scientific dioramas to be a distracting and often jarring element that undermined the emotional core of the story.

Reviews: A Love/Hate Relationship

  • User Review (ops-52535): Praises the film as a "phenomenal profiling of a typical scandinavian husband and wife relationship." The reviewer found it to be a brutally honest and relatable depiction of the struggles of a long-term marriage with children, calling it a "must-see film for every aspiring adulthoodist."

  • User Review (ogudmundssonsf): Applauds the film as "creative fun" and a deeper dive into "human nature all the way to genetics." This reviewer appreciated the artistic and theatrical elements, praising the "excellent acting" and recommending it for those open to Scandinavian creativity.

Overall, audience reviews are highly divided. Some viewers loved the film's intellectual and unconventional approach, finding it to be a fresh and honest take on relationships. Others, reflected in the low IMDb score, likely found the scientific elements to be distracting and preferred a more straightforward drama.

What Movie Trend film is following: The 'Mundanity of Life' Film

Diorama is part of a growing trend in independent and international cinema that focuses on the quiet, often uncomfortable realities of everyday life. These films avoid high-stakes drama in favor of exploring the subtle emotional shifts, unspoken tensions, and routine conflicts that define modern relationships. They are often introspective and character-driven, relying on authentic performances to carry a narrative that is less about plot and more about a realistic slice of life.

What Big Social Trend is following: The De-Romanticization of Marriage

The film taps into a broader social trend that challenges the traditional, idealized view of marriage and family life. In a world where divorce rates are high and conversations about work-life balance, emotional labor, and personal fulfillment are increasingly common, Diorama reflects a growing sentiment that the institution of marriage, as it has been traditionally presented, may not align with the complexities of modern life. It speaks to a generation that is questioning whether they are truly compatible with the long-standing model of lifelong monogamy.

Final Verdict: A Bold Experiment Worth Watching

Diorama is not an easy or universally enjoyable film, but it is a compelling and thought-provoking one. Its unconventional structure is both its greatest strength and its most significant weakness, polarizing critics and audiences alike. However, for those willing to engage with its unique blend of relationship drama and scientific commentary, it offers a raw, honest, and ultimately insightful look at the complexities of love and human connection in the modern world. The powerful performances of the lead actors anchor the film, making its challenging narrative worthwhile.

 

Comments

Subscribe Form

Thanks for submitting!

  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn

©2020 by DailyEntertainmentWorld. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page