Diana

An air of respectful caution hangs over Diana, although Naomi Watts does her best to bring some complexity to the story of the Princess of Wales as she tries to redefine her public and private life after splitting from Charles. How British of this film to be so, so…constrained.

The good news is that it’s better than a Lifetime movie. The creators stayed clear of melodrama, sensationalism and “car-crash cinema” and they have an intriguing story to tell about Diana’s personal relationships with both Hasnat Khan and Dodi Fayed.

The bad news, is that’s it’s not as good as The Queen, the 2006 Helen Mirren film about Queen Elizabeth II that had a lot more to say about “the people’s princess.”

Simply put: I love any biopic, but most viewers will find this a royal bore.

Award potential: Taking on the most recognized woman in the world is a thankless task. Don’t bet too much money on Naomi Watts scoring a Best Actress nomination, this film’s only shot at award season.

The ten buck review: Not worth ten bucks.