The story told in this boutique biopic is that of the relationship between the most famous woman in the world (in 1995) and a quiet-living heart surgeon.
It is a story with many familiar elements, and a few new ones. There is a touch of Cinderella and a touch of Notting Hill - but where these stories have a strong structure and are secure in tone, Diana is uneven on both counts. The film has some rather bold cinematography, but it is a boldness not always matched by the subject matter at hand, so what could have been exciting dramatic choices are more often quite jarring or simply fall flat. Similarly the dialogue is at times corny, sometimes trite, and seldom natural.
Diana does get some things right, though: Naomi Watts' performance is studied, charismatic and true to the spirit of Diana (I think...I don't remember Diana as well as I probably should); the film demonstrates very well how convoluted and unusual Diana's life had become, while maintaining focus on the simple love story at the its heart. And there is much examination of hearts: what with her being the queen of people's hearts and him being the in doctor of people's hearts and each of them being a poor caretaker of their own hearts.
I enjoyed the story Diana tells, and appreciate that it does so with a strong point of view. I would like to think that there is a lot of truth in this version of events.
See this film if you are interested in Lady Di, or to admire her unique way with fashion. There is much to enjoy in this film, despite some poor craftsmanship putting it together.
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