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Star Cast: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Farthing, Stella Gonet, Sally Hawkins and ensemble.
Director: Pablo Larraín
What’s Good: Pablo and Steven Knight get into Princess Diana’s head as she lives the caged life. Kristen Stewart takes the characters and breaks free like a wildfire.
What’s Bad: That it will get only limited screens in India. Grab your chance and enter that cinema hall if you are fortunate to get a show.
Loo Break: The camera is on Stewart 90 percent of the runtime, you will keep avoiding the nature’s call until it’s too urgent.
Watch or Not?: If you miss this one, you will probably never know the range Kristen has and the prolific filmmaking Pablo does.
Language: English.
Available on: Theatres near you, finally!
Runtime: 117 minutes.
Spencer is just 3 days into Princess Diana’s life at the Sandringham Estate, London on the Christmas Eve 1991. She was struggling with inner demons and mental illness, and eventually decided to end her marriage, Prince Charles, in that day.
Spencer Review: Script Analysis
"The Royals" is a life of symmetry, and an existence that requires the world to bow. Director Pablo Larrain calls Spencer a "fable from true tragedy", A FABLE. Let's eat it as such. We all know that Princess Diana was the black sheep of the Royal family. She rebelled against the monotony and confinement she was forced into. In Netflix's hit series The Crown, Emma Corrin has beautifully explained this.
My observation is that Steven Knight understands the existence of this performance and writes Spencer in an intimate and personal manner. He is almost telling us that these Royals already know who they are and what they did to Diana. But what you don’t know are her personal battles, and that we are here for that. We see the world through the eyes of the Princess Of Wales, particularly in those three days on Christmas Eve.
The writers have more time to focus on Diana and her mind, which is running at top speed. Her husband, Prince Charles, is having an extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (never named), and she is slowly being wiped out from his life. Her children are raised in a way that is not hers. It is only her who is in this frame. Even Queen Elizabeth is a part of the background. Charles is Charles' immediate partner, so Charles gets more attention. Maggie, played by Sally Hawkins, is a character that develops over time and looks beautiful.
Bulimic Princess Diana, the food that arrives in the kitchen via an army carrier feels like a weapon consignment. Her head is the one that is playing with her. She walks through empty corridors, but her eyes are still on her. She is given instructions on what to wear, how to eat and when she should not go. The script examines the psychological pressures and worsening effects of captivity.
The dresses she will wear are marked POW (Princes Of Wales, Prisoners Of War). The curtains in her bedroom are hung from the centre, as though she could fly away and never return. The police stop her from expressing her desire to visit her childhood home. She is looking for a home, and all the Royal culture places her in is a beautiful prison with golden chains. This writing captures the essence of the Princess's desire to discover her identity and herself.
It is a tribute to her love of being wild and free, but it also reminds us of her aching motherhood that longs for her sons to feel freedom from their robot existence.
Spencer Movie Review: Star Performance
Kristen Stewart has already walked the red carpet at all the gala nights. I wish her success. She is an actor who can express emotions with her eyes more than words. Steven Knight and Pablo Larrain help her to convey her emotions through her demeanour. When she isn't able to take the pressure, her walk becomes aggressive and her eyes grow wider. Even her blinking is measured. Stewart is a natural at all of this and much more. She looks like she was meant to be Diana.
Sally Hawkins (Shape Of Water), gets to play Maggie, Diana’s confidant and dresser. Their bond is unique. You might be wondering why Hawkins, an actor of Hawkins' stature, would choose to play such a small part. But the movie delivers the biggest and boldest bomb. I won't spoil the surprise for you.
Timothy Spall plays a role of a silent observer, but an important character in the movie. As you will see. You will see. Jack Farthing is immediately hateable as Prince Charles. Stella Gonet is Queen Elizabeth. While she isn’t given much frame, it’s a character touched on by Claire Foy, The Olivia Colman and Gonet falls short.
Spencer Movie Review: Direction, Music
Pablo Larrain knows that the story he is translating is horrifying and claustrophobic. He makes sure the lobby is beautiful and haunting. The camera zooms in enough to Kristen Stewart's saddening and blinding eyes. When he decides that his subject should be freed from all shackles, he wins the game. He dances through some of her most memorable moments, including her marriage and the time she was proclaimed the 'people’s queen'.
Remember how I said that even when you are alone, your eyes are always on Princess Diana. Claire Mathon takes one line and makes it the theme for the entire movie. The camera captures Diana at her most vulnerable moments over those three days, making it seem like someone is sneaking in to steal the gossip. Mathon's masterwork is remarkable for its wide shots that don't allow you to feel free, and the closed ones that make it feel cramped are some examples of Mathon's amazing work.
Spencer is an integral part of Jonny Greenwood's music. The musician picks up the beats Kristen Stewart is thinking about and makes them his crescendo. He usually reaches the highest note, but if his subject has yet to receive her redemption, then how is the tune coming out?
Spencer Movie Review - The Last Word
William, Diana's oldest son, consoling Diana, says "There must be two of you" (one for the whole world, one for yourself). Diana rebels against this and you should not miss that battle. PS: Spencer was Princess Diana’s maiden name. Keep checking Koimoi.
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