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Diana

2 October 2013English1h 53m
BiographyDramaRomance
out of 10
Unfavorablemost critics didn't like it
Monk Score · 8 scored reviews · 1 not rated

A flat, romanticised portrait that does Diana's complex life no justice.

Verdict tier Unfavorable, most critics didn't like it, on a scale of Unfavorable, Mixed, Recommended, Exceptional.

  • Praised: Hair and makeup department's work
  • Criticised: Weak, reductive script

Audience

User score 5.0 out of 10 from 1 rating, not enough ratings for a verdict yet
Read 1 audience review ↓

Not streaming in India

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Critic consensus

What 9 critics are saying

Critical reception for Diana is overwhelmingly negative, with reviewers broadly condemning the film as a reductive and superficial treatment of its subject. The script draws the sharpest criticism, described variously as atrocious, bland, and a disservice to Diana's legacy, reducing a complex public figure to a one-dimensional portrayal focused narrowly on her romantic life. Naomi Watts's physical resemblance to Diana, aided by hair and makeup, is the sole aspect several critics acknowledged positively, though most felt her performance ultimately fell short. A recurring complaint is the film's avoidance of the political and royal dimensions of Diana's life, leaving audiences with little new insight into her character.

How the 8 scores spread

1 not-rated review isn't plotted

Positive / mixed / negative reviews

Positive = 6.5/10 and up · negative = below 5/10

AI-generated summary of 9 critic reviews · may contain errors

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From the papers

Critic reviews (9)

Top critics first, then by score · not-rated last · updated

  1. Top critic

    TheFrontRow

    Film review ·

    Diana is an inexplicably bland portrait of an extraordinarily dramatic life. It takes some talent to make Lady Di boring.

  2. Top critic

    IBNLive

    Film review ·

    Like the cheap tabloids that routinely peddled salacious tidbits of her alleged private life, this film too is a hack job.

  3. The Navhind Times

    Film review ·

    The dialogues are not particularly sparkling and the romance may seem a bit trite, since there is no concrete evidence of how exactly it unfolded. Her differences with Prince Charles and her skirmishes with the Royal family are completed avoided, but the way the story unfolds, I didn't miss that. One way to savour this film is to enjoy what is being served rather than look out for what is missing. Naomi Watts in the lead role has expectedly done good job. Even though you might hear mixed views about the film, I suggest you see it for yourself and decide.

  4. India Today

    Film review ·

    Naomi Watts does her bit but falls short in portraying someone as strong and popular as Diana. All credit goes to the hair and makeup department who give her the perfect look. Diana is not a bad film but the problem is the Princess of Wales deserves a lot better.

  5. Times Of India

    Film review ·

    If you are fine with seeing Diana as the 'needy' woman solely looking for love, living in suffocating secrecy, you may like the film. If you expect to revisit the aura of mystery surrounding her, you will be disappointed.

  6. DNA India

    Film review ·

    A huge royal mess, Diana is easily one of the worst biographical work brought alive on the big screen. Diana's private life has ample fodder to make a Sidney Sheldon book set, but a film based on her life neither engages us on a cerebral level, nor titillates with shades of gossip! Instead it becomes a sort of parody demeaning and mutilating every little memory we have of one of the 'princess of hearts'.

  7. IANS

    Film review ·

    The script itself acts as a ruthless stalker, uneasy with its own probing. It does little to convey either the perfection or imperfection of its subject. Unfortunately, it does not reveal anything about the enigmatic Diana, but manages instead to portray her as a tepidly manipulative and scheming woman, who fed the media with photographs taken with Dodi Fayed.

  8. Hindustan Times

    Film review ·

    A spectacularly misjudged biopic about the late Princess of Wales, Diana spans the last two years of her life leading up to the car crash in which she died. The atrocious script is infinitely quotable, dropping as it does clunker after clunker.

  9. LiveMint

    Film review ·

    German filmmaker Oliver Hirschbiegel's biopic Diana takes the basic facts of the British royal's post-divorce years, puts them through the dry-cleaner and then whips them on the washing stone to make sure that no blemishes or stains survive.

From our readers

Audience reviews (1)

1 rating · user score 5.0

  1. NeonikaNov 2014
    5/10

    To begin with, the chemistry between the lead pair is cringeworthy at best. And when that's the premise of your film, it's a major problem. The love affair that was probably the best kept secret of the princess' life, appears lop-sided, nearly one-sided for the most part. Maybe it was off limits for the filmmakers, but the lack of any deeper insight into the future queen's final struggles with the Buckingham palace adds to the film's unsatisfactory feel. However, it does throw light on the humanity and vulnerability of the people labeled as 'royalty', and that things can be very different from what they appear. A+ for hair, make-up and costume design, although it doesn't quite guise the fact that Naomi Watts is almost a decade older than Diana was at that time. Nevertheless, she does an excellent job portraying the most famous woman of the 20th century. It's a shame the movie couldn't do her the same kind of justice and takes liberties embellishing (and tainting for the sake of drama) a very personal story.

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