Director Pablo Larrain’s haunting 2021 film “Spencer” is a masterpiece. The film tells the story of Princess Diana struggling with her mental health during the Christmas holidays with the Royal Family. It’s not a biopic but more of a character study.
Charles has been having an affair. The Royal Family keeps her on a tight leash. The trappings of tradition and expectation. The threat of paparazzi. Longing for her childhood home. Wanting a different life for her sons. She feels trapped. Helpless. Betrayed. So much weighing on her mind and rightly so.
Kristen Stewart’s performance as Diana is remarkable. Subtle, strong, and vulnerable. I was blown away. Throw out that Twilight baggage. The transformation is astonishing.
Some strong and touching supporting performances surround Stewart. Sally Hawkins and Sean Harris are brilliant and bring a sense of humanity and reality into Diana’s world. Lifelines.
The cinematography and locations help create an atmosphere of both beauty and claustrophobia. Jonny Greenwood’s score and some key pop songs seem out of place at first but in the end work perfectly.
This film is Diana’s story but also the story of so many women locked into lives of silence and servitude. It’s an awakening and a cry for change. It is inspiring.
Give it a watch when you’re in the mood for something out of the ordinary.
Open Life Up 