First off, Diana is not as bad as some critics have made it out to be. I mean I did see The Counselor last week so I’m still more scarred from that disaster. The idea of seeing the way Diana lived the last two year of her life was a good one, however the script in which they told her story for it, was not.
The film begins on that tragic Paris night, at the Ritz Hotel. As Diana (Naomi Watts), her lover at the time, Dodi Fayed, and a small security detail enter the elevator to leave after dinner. We watch through a security camera as they go down the elevator in silence. We know what is about to happen next but we don’t see it. Instead the movie rewinds two years before her death. Princess Diana is separated from Charles and living in Kensington Palace.
While visiting a friend in the hospital she encounters, Hasnat Khan (Naveen Andrews), to whom she gets an immediate attraction too. “The most beautiful thing she has seen,” to put it in her own words. He seems to have barely noticed her, making Diana want him more. Sound like a Rom-Com yet? Thus begins the infamous secret love affair with the Pakistani heart surgeon. From that point on we have an almost cliché romantic comedy, filled with break ups and makes up. Diana is portrayed more like a desperate teenager who will stop at nothing (even stalker procedures) to get the man she wants. And like she says in the film, “I’m a princess and I always get what I want.” Yes, she actually said that, but sadly that was not the corniest line.
Like any good rom-com, when the couple breaks up for good, the girl must breakdown. Time to party, meet a new guy, and make sure it is all photographed so your ex can get jealous.
It is too bad the film was focusing primarily on her love story with Khan. The best parts of the movie are when we get to see Diana do all her charitable work. Including the actions she took to support the International Campaign to Ban Landmines.
On a good note, Naomi Watts did a great job. She looked so much like Diana. Watts wears a prosthetic nose, and works eagerly to capture Diana’s modest expressions and body language. And she nails it! It is just too bad she could not have been given a more powerful script. As for Naveen Andrews, he might have done better if the real Hasnat would have been involved in the making of this film. Instead, he seemed more confused about how he should feel about her in this movie than I did.
Diana has its entertaining moments and could be a guilty pleasure for some, but it might not have been the best way to bring back the memory of Princess Di.
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, some sensuality and smoking.
Diana hits theaters November 1st.
Originally posted on RedCarpetCrash.com
The beginning of the film moves slow because of the extended “philosophical” conversations each one-on-one scene has. Rarely are more than two people on screen together. Every discussion these characters have is filled with analogies. So much so that you loose all meaning to whatever they are saying. I am sure there was some thoughtful lessons behind these speeches, but feeling forced and out of place, you simply loose all interest.
The actors give great performances, which is no surprise. With a cast this strong you would think director, Ridley Scott (Prometheus) noticed they were not being utilized in a monotonous script. It just felt more like they were reading for an audition, giving their all in useless dialogue that does not move the story forward.
At this point, you are already broken hearted and can barely watch as Shane and their friends and family discuss his death. But you are filled with sympathy and disgust when you hear about the lengths Tom’s family took to prevent Shane from attending the funeral or having anything to do with Tom after his death. The two were not married, so Shane had no legal standing in the relationship. After his passing, it was as if Shane never existed in Tom’s life.
Overall the entire cast gives surprisingly convincing performances. Ambyr Childers and Julia Garner carry this film. Being able to sympathize for their characters is what makes the movie so interesting. Often times when we see a horror flick, we have to endure villains that have no remorse for their actions, and you are just waiting for them to get their karma in the end. Your heart breaks for these girls as you watch their struggle. The whole time you are second guessing whether or not you should be feeling this way. You never truly know what these girls are thinking. On the other hand, there is no questioning what Bill Sage’s character is thinking. He does an amazing job as the controlling father who stands firmly by his “religious beliefs.”
For Academy Award winning director, Roger Ross Williams (Music By Prudence, New York Underground), this was a film with an agenda. Being a homosexual African American raised in the church, this was a subject that also struck a personal chord for Williams. He does a magnificent job capturing a realistic portrait of these evangelists and reverends, as they clearly have no problem being shed in a bad light. These people are just being themselves and truly believe what they are saying and preaching is completely normal without any consequences. Williams succeeds in delivering a clear message of how the extremists forcing anti-homosexual views to a vulnerable country can expand to others causing a dangerous effect. Homosexuality is already illegal in Uganda and they are currently trying to pass the “Anti-Homosexuality Bill,” in which same-sex relations could lead to life in prison or the death penalty. But even without a bill, the citizens have taken matters in their own hands. They are being taught to be the first country to “stop the homosexuals from ruining society.”
For anyone who thought Sandra Bullock’s Oscar win for The Blind Side was not deserved, I don’t agree with you…and you should just watch Bullock’s performance in Gravity. She is really the sole actor of the film. George Clooney definitely serves a purpose and makes for some relaxing comic relief, but it seems like even he wants to let Bullock steal the show. The moment she appears on screen you might as well be tethered to that space suit with her. Whatever fear and anxiety her character is going through, the audience is feeling the exact same way. Watching her struggle made it physically harder to breathe. Personally, I have always known Sandra Bullock is a great actress; but this role definitely solidifies that. It’s still too soon to predict Oscar nominations, but I would say that she is a lock for the Best Actress nod along with many more nominations for the film in multiple categories.