Barry Daulton’s review published on Letterboxd:
I don’t want to be mean, but I honestly don’t understand how Kristen Stewart got nominated for this. I know it’s a big internet joke that she isn’t much of an actress and honestly I can’t argue too much either way, but she really didn’t impress me either, not even close. I mean I will try to ignore the fact that she is 5 inches shorter than Diana, because it may not seem like a big deal to most, but when I look for accurate portrayals especially with someone who was dealing with an eating disorder, it’s a physical miscast. I think another issue I have is this comes off the back of Season 4 of the Crown where Emma Corrin absolutely nailed this role. I have never been a big fan of American actors playing Brits, I have to honestly think that if it wasn’t Corrin, there had to be someone else out there better suited for this role. I could have overlooked a different American in the role, if they had been fantastic, but that isn’t what I am seeing here. The movie focuses more than 90% on the role and to me Stewart just can’t carry the film, which makes watching the film difficult. I think this particular story for that particular time in the lives of those people should have made for an interesting movie, at least interesting to me who has really enjoyed The Crown. The rest of the cast isn’t bad by any means, but is becomes irrelevant when the lead is just not good. I also felt that the score was quite odd, not really fitting in with what I would expect based on subject matter. I did think the costume designs and make up were solid. I loved the use of Mike + the Mechanics, probably my favorite part of the movie. But overall I didn’t like it and I am scratching my head as to why Stewart was getting praise and nominations for this performance. If you are on the fence about it, I recommend watching the Crown.
