Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2013

Well-intentioned but atrociously written and highly simplistic soap reduces the last two years of the Princess of Wales’s life to a tacky, hagiographic tabloid fantasy. Has to do with her love affair with Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan, who, we are told, rejected Diana because of Muslim family values and understandable worries about her intense media baggage. Dodi? A rebound fling manipulatively aimed at making Hasnat jealous. Naomi Watts puts in a flawless if shallow impersonation, and there are some nice lonely-princess montages, but it all goes poof as soon as anyone says anything. (113 min)