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★★★★
Directed by: Pablo Larrain
Written by: Steven Knight
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Sally Hawkins
Film Review by Robert Stayte
Director Pablo Larrain’s recent effort based on a famous woman of history, Jackie and Kristen Stewart’s fame both seem individually like the right setup for a take on the infamous Diana, Princess of Wales. Collectively, they have created a film that sets out to be less a biopic and more of a “fable based on a true tragedy” (as the film says at the beginning). It’s successful as such.
Over the course of the three days of Christmas, Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) goes to Sandringham House with the rest of the royal family, including her husband Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) and sons William (Jack Nielen) and Harry (Freddie Spry). Behind this celebration lies an unhappy marriage, a controlling family and Diana’s own insecurities.
Spencer is a surprisingly weird film, with a whole bunch of dream sequences and fantasies that almost give the film a gothic ghost tale vibe. However, there is actual context to the strangeness, as the story revolves around Diana’s mind unravelling and her obsessing over the past, whether that be her own or Anne Boylen’s. These scenes are especially prominent in the final act, which does start to lose coherency but becomes clear upon reflection.
Diana herself is shown to be a young girl at heart that desires free will but is constantly undermined from getting it. The only genuine connections she has are with her children and Maid Maggie (Sally Hawkins). Spencer does go for emotional distance a lot of the time, but towards the end there is a cathartic (yet also bittersweet) sense of relief.
Technically speaking, the cinematography works at making the environment feel like both a beautiful expansive world and a prison to Diana, mainly by utilising a lot of wide shots and close-ups, typically only going for standard medium shots when Diana is having a decent interaction. Jonny Greenwood’s score is once again intense and well composed.
Kristen Stewart transforms into this character and uses her voice and body language to create someone who has a sense of class but is constantly on edge and unhappy. Her accent is flawless and she carries much of the film. The rest of the cast are solid despite not having huge roles, with Nielen and Spry especially having good chemistry with Stewart.
Spencer is a refreshing entry into the historical drama/biopic genre that does go for broke in embracing atmosphere over narrative, but tells a compelling and emotional story, held up by a central performance that will further prove Kristen Stewart’s acting prowess.
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