Spencer

From the director of Jackie comes another unconventional biopic, this time focusing on Diana Spencer. More a character study than a full-fledged biographical drama, Spencer unfolds like a psychological horror and attempts to capture her inner turmoil as she finds herself on verge of breakdown while spending the Christmas holidays with the royal family at one of their estates.

Directed by Pablo Larraín, the film is a fictionalised account but still draws its inspiration from real-life events and is more interested in exploring & exploiting the titular character's struggle with her mental health problems as well as the suffocation she felt amidst all the luxury of the British crown. And yet, Larraín fails to add anything new or bring a fresh perspective to what's already common knowledge.

On the technical front however, the film earns its scores. Production design team does put up sumptuous set pieces that neatly serve as interiors of the British royal family's country house. The fluid camerawork, radiant palette & skilful lighting silently enrich the imagery while Jonny Greenwood's sonorous score echoes through every chamber. And Kristen Stewart's excellent performance is what makes it worth viewing.

Overall, Spencer leans more towards an art-house endeavour than a conventional biopic and though it is a technically sound production, the narrative is hollow & emotionally unappealing. It's as if Larraín put all of his effort into making sure the picture looks as beautiful as possible coz the script didn't have much to say. Serving only as a vehicle for Stewart to flex her acting prowess, the film may dazzle some but it left me cold & indifferent.

The film is good. Ignore the 1 star reviewers who hate Kristen based on one film she did over a decade ago. She is a terrific actress, and her repertoire of under the radar films proves it.

She's near perfectly been cast in "Spencer", and the film is just as gripping and successful (if not more) than "Jackie".

It's December 1991. The British royal family is gathering to spend Christmas at a royal estate. The abandoned Spencer estate is nearby. Diana (Kristen Stewart) is driving herself and arrives late. She finds herself more and more isolated. Major Alistar Gregory (Timothy Spall) leads the staff to impose order upon her.

There seems to be a lot of praise for Kristen Stewart's work in this. I can certainly see what she's doing and she's doing a lot of it. Sometimes, people say that an actor disappears into the role. In this one, I never lose sight that this is Kristen Stewart. She is doing her standard jittery demure acting. It always looks like her and her movements. A lot of this rides on her performance and I like it less than most. Timothy Spall is performing through his deliberate gritting teeth. Again, I get the work but I would like less singular mannerisms. As for the story, it hits the broad elements of the situation. I do like the mental health aspect although there is no way to know the truth. This is sensationalized. It would help if the performances are more toned down and normalized especially Kristen. She needs to do less of her jittery demure.

When I first heard that Kristen Stewart was cast as Princess Diana, I was sceptical I must admit.. The American does a great job though in picturing one of the most loved British people of all time.

I dont want to spoil anything, I just say that sure...we all knew the gossip, the conspiracies, the theories about Diana and her death, but still, almost 25 years later, this movie still brings aspects to the story, that are fresh, new and provocative. It was a bit more psychedelic than expected and I enjoyed that movie much more than I thought I would and it surely will not be liked by the royals, especially Prince Charles, he wont be amused with his depiction!

This does feel like an interesting spin on the typical royal period piece. Having the royal family as Diana's horror was a unique framing device, but you really feel like you're getting hit over the head with Diana's trauma for 2 hours.

Even as someone who has watched The Crown, you have to bring in a LOT of prior knowledge about this story to understand everything going on. It's heavy on symbolism and not the most subtle, but Stewart's performance is worthy of the hype and is the main thing to watch here.