Diana (2013)

Growing up, I always watched the royal family on tv. I grew up right along with William and Harry. But no one captured my attention more than Princess Diana. I always considered her to be the most beautiful person, inside and out. Her humanitarian efforts is what I remember most. I once saw a newspaper comic with her standing next to Mother Teresa, holding hands in heaven. Princess Diana always had a big heart, which the royal family and the paparazzi filled with heartbreak. Her desperation for privacy led to her death in Paris, August 31, 1997. I remember my mother was devastated with the news. The whole world cried for Diana that night. The film Diana, was an intimate look inside her personal life post royal family. This is the story of the press wanting too much from her, ruining the one relationship that meant the most, and leading to her death.

In the opening of the film, we are already hit with Diana's apparent loneliness and her attempt at coping with her failed marriage to the royal family, and the media coverage of her heartbreak. We also see that the circumstances didn't deter her from being the caring, loving, and thoughtful Diana we would expect. Living in comfortable surroundings in Kensington Palace, she was always kind and respectful towards her staff, never requiring too much from them. A frantic call from a friend led to Diana arriving alone at a hospital without any security. Here is where she met Hasnat Khan, in 1995.

After living like a Princess for so long, Hasnat was able to remind her what "normal" felt like. Having dinner one night in her Palace, he was seemingly uncomfortable. Diana sent out for Burger King to give him the much less formal dinner he prefers. After this we learn of their two different worlds. I'm surprised there wasn't more controversy surrounding his Islamic background and her interest in it.

The film had quirky, fun, normal relationship moments, yet others I found to be very awkward. I think the awkwardness is intentional, that way the audience could feel what Diana must have been in an effort to have the normal life she desired. She would even wear wigs and disguises in order to go out on dates with Hasnat. It was in the early development of their romantic relationship that she did the famous interview with Martin Bashir from Panorama BBC. The personal backlash wasn't what she expected. She knew the public would be buzzing with all of the new juicy information, but she didn't expect it to have any effect on Hasnat. He very much wanted to maintain his private life. She would take great care to give Hasnat what he wanted, so they could be together, which proved not to be enough.

This film, based on Kate Snell's book Diana: Her Last Love, shows us Diana's last bit of happiness before the end of her life. The problem I had with the film was that we didn't see her be a Mom. There is one moment with her kids, very briefly towards the end of the film, that was all. I really think they should've expanded the scene. I know the purpose of the film wasn't her role in motherhood, but the film drops the image and creates a different identity for her. Instead we see her vulnerability in place of strength. Perhaps this is necessary. We are not used to thinking of Princess Diana as a sensitive or vulnerable person. Publicly, she always exuded strength, kindness, and love.

After going through great lengths to keep the man she loved, the media made a spectacle of their relationship that Hasnat, nor his family, wanted to compete with. Not long after their relationship ended, Diana met Dodi Fayed. She never stopped loving Hasnat, however she made a point to let the media see her enjoying herself. Only a month later, in 1997, Diana and Dodi in an effort to escape the swarming paparazzi outside a Parisian hotel, they would die in a collision in a tunnel.

The film focuses on the media constantly violating her privacy. Dining in restaurants on vacation and hearing a camera shutter at a neighboring table would prove an unsettling sound that would make anyone feel violated. Truly a heartbreaking story about the most loved public figure in the world.

The cast in the film was impressive. Naveen Andrews played Hasnat Khan. I appreciate his charisma on screen. Naomi Watts played our beloved Princess. She was good, and brought the raw emotion and substance needed to give the character depth. She brought out the human side of Diana we are not used to seeing. However, I felt she played it too vulnerable. During the reenacted Bashir interview, Naomi played her deep breaths with sadness that seemed awkward. After comparing the film to Princess Diana's actual interview, I noticed she had sad eyes, but had stronger, more comfortable body language conversing with Bashir.

Overall a beautiful story, with humor and dignity. Bring tissues folks!