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| Diana reviews 'devastating', says director | Diana reviews 'devastating', says director |
| (2 months later) | |
| The director of royal biopic Diana has revealed his "devastation" after the film picked up derisive reviews, but blamed Britain's ongoing "trauma" with the late princess of Wales' death for the poor reaction to his film. | The director of royal biopic Diana has revealed his "devastation" after the film picked up derisive reviews, but blamed Britain's ongoing "trauma" with the late princess of Wales' death for the poor reaction to his film. |
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| German film-maker Oliver Hirschbiegel, previously best known for the acclaimed historical drama Downfall about the last days of Hitler, nevertheless told the BBC he had "no regrets" about making the film. Diana's mauling was "devastating, but when you make a film you don't think about the reactions", he said, adding that he hoped people would make their own minds up about the movie rather than avoid it due to the widespread negative reviews. | German film-maker Oliver Hirschbiegel, previously best known for the acclaimed historical drama Downfall about the last days of Hitler, nevertheless told the BBC he had "no regrets" about making the film. Diana's mauling was "devastating, but when you make a film you don't think about the reactions", he said, adding that he hoped people would make their own minds up about the movie rather than avoid it due to the widespread negative reviews. |
| "In all the other places where it's opened - in Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Slovakia - it's been very strong," said Hirschbiegel. "I think for the British, Diana is still a trauma they haven't come to terms with." | "In all the other places where it's opened - in Poland, the Czech Republic, Turkey and Slovakia - it's been very strong," said Hirschbiegel. "I think for the British, Diana is still a trauma they haven't come to terms with." |
| The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw labelled Hirschbiegel's film "an excruciatingly well-intentioned, reverential and sentimental biopic about her troubled final years, laced with bizarre cardboard dialogue", while the Observer's Mark Kermode called it "a film which has neither backbone nor teeth, swerving drearily between hagiography ('I just want to help people!') and hapless cod romance, interspersed with hokey landmine photo-ops and scenic cultural detours through Lahore". | The Guardian's Peter Bradshaw labelled Hirschbiegel's film "an excruciatingly well-intentioned, reverential and sentimental biopic about her troubled final years, laced with bizarre cardboard dialogue", while the Observer's Mark Kermode called it "a film which has neither backbone nor teeth, swerving drearily between hagiography ('I just want to help people!') and hapless cod romance, interspersed with hokey landmine photo-ops and scenic cultural detours through Lahore". |
| The Telegraph, meanwhile, said the film was "a special class of awful" while The Mirror labelled it "cheap and cheerless". The Hollywood Reporter described the UK reaction as "some of the worst reviews for a British film in recent memory". | The Telegraph, meanwhile, said the film was "a special class of awful" while The Mirror labelled it "cheap and cheerless". The Hollywood Reporter described the UK reaction as "some of the worst reviews for a British film in recent memory". |
| Diana stars Naomi Watts as the princess, with Lost's Naveen Andrews as her heart surgeon lover Dr Hasnat Khan. It opened in fifth place at the UK box office last weekend with £623,000 and this week dropped to No 9. Nevertheless, producers have sold the movie to distributors in more than 40 countries around the world and it is due to open in the US on 1 November. | Diana stars Naomi Watts as the princess, with Lost's Naveen Andrews as her heart surgeon lover Dr Hasnat Khan. It opened in fifth place at the UK box office last weekend with £623,000 and this week dropped to No 9. Nevertheless, producers have sold the movie to distributors in more than 40 countries around the world and it is due to open in the US on 1 November. |
| Hirschbiegel also defended the film at the Zurich film festival earlier this week. He described Diana as "very un-British" and said the critical reaction "harked back "to what newspapers like the Daily Mail would write about her back then - really vile things. So I guess I succeeded." | Hirschbiegel also defended the film at the Zurich film festival earlier this week. He described Diana as "very un-British" and said the critical reaction "harked back "to what newspapers like the Daily Mail would write about her back then - really vile things. So I guess I succeeded." |
| • Diana - video review | • Diana - video review |
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