Spencer provides us with a personal look into Princess Diana’s cold marriage with Prince Charles over a Christmas weekend and is anchored by an absolutely flawless performance by Kristen Stewart. The film tells the story of a Christmas weekend where Diana had reached her breaking point and realized how cold her relationship with the royal family, including her husband, had gotten.
It’s a tragic tale that once again shows us how every single moment Diana was being questioned. Diana was never able to be the normal person she wanted to be and someone who just so happened to fall in love with a prince. I really appreciated how this movie didn’t shy away from the fact that Diana did have her own flaws.
She’s heard in the film saying how she does love nice things – who doesn’t – , but she’s tired of being treated more like an object than a person. There’s also the sad fact that she suffered from an eating disorder and how the royal family saw it as a weakness instead of a cry for help. Kirsten Stewart perfectly encapsulated the feeling of isolation and loneliness that Diana felt towards the end of her life and her marriage.
We are shown how Diana was driven to a point of constant frustration by the royal family. She had lost who she was at heart because she was forced to turn into something that she was not and Stewart and the movie show us exactly how that felt for her. Stewart perfectly plays the part and shows us how important image and looks were to the royal family and how that played a massive role into Dianas mental health.
Spencer is an unrelenting heartbreaking drama that never lets you breathe. So much like how Diana felt you feel as though there is no escape and if there is you will only come out on the losing side. The tiny thread of hope throughout the film was Diana’s love for her children.
Those were always the moments where we as the audience felt a relief and as though Diana was only being herself when she was alone with her boys. They’re the most tender, real and loving moments which only showed how bitter and dull all other interactions were with Diana.
I can’t say enough about Kristen Stewarts performance here. Every time she is on screen, which is the whole movie, you are glued to her. The way she’s able to capture certain emotions in a moment and flip on a dime is mesmerizing. She is able to show dramatic range and apply true care to her role as Diana.
This film also wows with some stellar visuals. There’s breathtaking hallways, landscapes and not to mention clothing. The cinematography almost takes you back because the world the royals live in almost seems of another world – because it is for the massively wealthy.
Spencer, although a slow burn, ultra dramatic film, delivers in a big way largely because of Kristen Stewarts stellar performance. It’s a film that won’t be for some because of its leisurely pace, but because of the unrelentingly tragic performance by Stewart and fabulous visuals Spencer will be a tour de force for ages.
I give Spencer an A+
