Spencer

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.

"Spencer" is a Biography - Drama movie in which we follow lady Diana on her Christmas holidays at the Sandringham estate in Norfolk, England. She deals with health problems and a lot of pressure and decides to end her marriage to Prince Charles.

I have to admit that I had high expectations from this movie since it is based on a very important person, Lady Diana. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied by the result because there were not many scenes that could explain us a bit more her final choice. This could be done with some flashbacks in order to make it clear and better establish her character. Despite that the interpretation of Kristen Stewart who played as Diana Spencer was very good, she did not save this movie. Another interpretation that has to be mentioned was Timothy Spall's who played as Major Alistar Gregory and he was simply amazing. To sum up, I have to say that "Spencer" had the potential of being an amazing movie about Lady Diana but failed.

6/10 - I really wanted to fall in love with this film, but found it lacking in a lot of the heart it needed to convey this story with the sympathy and genuineness necessary in the story of such a layered and pained woman.

This is not a traditional biopic, far from it. In fact it all takes place over a three day period during the 1991 version of the annual Royal Family's Christmas at Sandringham Estate. About 10 years after Charles and Diana were married and about six years before Diana would die in the car crash in Paris. It is more of a fictionalized dramatization of what it must have been like for Diana, a caged animal yearning to be free, but confined to the customs and rules of the Royal Family.

There is a conversation in the middle of the movie, Charles explaining to Diana, each member of the Royal Family is two people, the one that reporters and photographers see and the real one. But Diana was unable to fit that mold.

Fine portrayals by all involved, my wife and I enjoyed it at home on DVD from our public library.

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.