Spencer
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Sally Hawkins
Directed by: Pablo Larraín
Rated: R
It’s 1991 and Princess Diana is on the way to celebrate Christmas with the royal family at Sandringham. She stalls as long as she can before arriving to the festivities. Her marriage to Charles (Jack Farthing) is in trouble and the royal family is nothing but cold to her. It’s only 3 days, she tells herself. 3 days of the family dictating her move. 3 days of being told what to eat. 3 days of being watched by the staff as their whispers carry through the halls spreading rumors. As each day passes, her anxiety rises. She feels trapped in a cage, unraveling at the seams. Can she make it through these 3 days?
Director Pablo Larraín is back with another haunting female driven biopic. You may have seen his work with 2016’s Jackie, a fantastic film starring Natalie Portman. This time around, he takes on Princess Diana. The beginning of Spencer states it’s a “fable based on true events.” Instead of a traditional by-the-book biopic, Larraín makes Spencer feel like a psychological horror film likening the Christmas celebration at Sandringham to a cage that Diana cannot escape. She’s like a pheasant that is being plucked of her wings. The staff watches her every move and the labyrinth halls are claustrophobic and sterile. It’s as if those halls are closing in on Diana.
Larraín has this unique way of showing that grief, depression, and anxiety can be far more terrifying than any monsters one could imagine in a horror movie. I was haunted when Jackie was released by the way he displayed the horror of Jackie’s grief after the assassination of John F. Kennedy. He did not shy away from showing what she went through. Yet, he was also able to capture her grace through it all.
Similarly in Spencer, he captures the raw anxiety that Diana dealt with on a daily basis whether it’s scrutiny due to press, the pressures of royal life, or the struggle of her eating disorder.
Who can she trust? Does any of the royal family like her? Will she be subjected to every meal with the whole family staring at her? The tension builds with each act of the film and we feel the anxiety that Diana feels.
Between Johnny Greenwood’s frenetic score, Diana’s increasing anxiety, and Claire Mathon’s cinematography, Spencer is like watching The Shining starring the royal family. The Sandringham house is ominous and every day carries a mundane schedule. It’s enough to drive someone mad. It’s haunting, eerie and unsettling. Throughout the film, Diana states she just wants to go “home” to her childhood estate that’s boarded up next door. Her wish is to return to simple childhood times, before the world was watching. The harder things get, the more she wishes to return home. These moments are like watching the lead character of a horror movie try to escape, but they just can’t seem to get out.
At the center of it all is Kristen Stewart’s portrayal of Diana. She gives a career best performance here. She portrays the late princesses mannerisms in such a way that you forget you’re watching Stewart. This is a performance that becomes more and more layered as the film goes on. Stewart showcases a Diana that tries to have it all together on the surface, but unravels as the Christmas holidays progress. She exhibits fear, despair, and longing for a different life. Through all the unrest, she displays a deep love for her sons that is particularly moving.
Claire Mathon’s cinematography is fantastic in Spencer. The shots inside Sandringham are beautifully ornate with Christmas decorations adorning the rooms, yet claustrophobic through Diana’s perspective. Mathon always frames Diana as the central focus and the lighting is utilized in just the right way.
There is an incredible montage in the last act of the film where Diana looks back on her life. It’s the best sequence I’ve seen in a film all year. The sequence is a truly unforgettable moment that perfectly pairs direction, score, acting, and cinematography.
I’m a big viewer of all things royal family related. While I throroughly enjoyed Spencer, and the unique approach to Diana’s story, there are aspects that I didn’t love. There are massive liberties taken here. As stated in the opening, this is a “fable based on true events.” Larrain and screenwriter Steven Knight look to paint a picture of Diana in just a 3 day timespan. It’s documented that Diana struggled with mental health issues and bulimia. However, there are aspects of this film that are made up and would be extremely difficult for her sons to watch. There’s a plotline where Diana has hallucinations and sees the ghost of Anne Boleyn. It looks like she’s going insane in these scenes. If this were based on complete fact, that’s one thing. However, there’s no evidence this ever happened. Considering Diana’s family will probably see this film (or at the very least hear about it), those scenes felt like a bit too much to add.
Pablo Larraín crafts a psychologically intense biopic with Spencer. This is a haunting portrait of Princess Diana with a career-best performance from Kristen Stewart. There are liberties taken in the story that will certainly be divisive. However, the film stands out as an impressive piece of filmmaking.
My Rating: 8/10