Film Review: SPENCER (2021): An Unusually Haunting Portrait Of Princess Diana

Spencer Review

Spencer (2021) Film Review, a movie directed by Pablo Larrain and starring Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall, Jack Nielen, Freddie Spry, Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, Stella Gonet, Richard Sammel, Elizabeth Berrington, Lore Stefanek, Amy Manson, Sally Hawkins, James Harkness, Laura Benson, Wendy Patterson, Libby Rodliffe, John Keogh and Marianne Graffam.

Oscar time is soon approaching and director Pablo Larrain’s new Princess Diana movie, Spencer, is sure-fire bait for Academy Award voters especially in regards to Kristen Stewart’s knockout performance as Diana in the film’s central role. However, this is not a “typical” Diana movie and Stewart doesn’t have the kind of stand out scene or long monologue that can secure her the Oscar as far as I’m concerned at this point. However, Stewart’s ability to embody the role of Diana with grace and sensitivity is to be commended and it’s almost certain that Stewart will receive a Best Actress nomination for her compelling work in this film.

There’s no way that one could ever characterize this take on Diana as conventional. It’s very obscure and unique in its portrayal of a woman who just wanted to be an average middle class woman and enjoy going to the theatre to see shows such as Les Miserables and Phantom of the Opera. Larrain’s film is set during Diana’s time with the royal family around Christmastime. She’s in a cold marriage with Prince Charles (a solid Jack Farthing) and when we meet Diana early in the film, she’s driving by herself on a road which seems to have no secure destination.

The film’s title, by the way, refers to Diana’s maiden name which she uses towards the film’s conclusion in a crowd-pleasing moment of a movie that doesn’t have much consideration in terms of pleasing its audience in a conventional sense.

Set primarily at the Sandringham Estate, the movie shows a number of dogs entering the premise as it begins unveiling its storyline. The dogs are probably the nicest characters in the movie as everyone else seems to have their own agenda except for maybe Diana’s two young children. Her two sons are terrifically played by Jack Nielen (William) and Freddie Spry (Harry). One such character who doesn’t seem to have Diana’s best personal interests in mind is Major Gregory (Timothy Spall) who is supposed to watch Diana but ends up seemingly making her feel rather uncomfortable instead. Sally Hawkins plays Maggie who confides in Diana and holds secret affections for her but Maggie doesn’t seem to be required to be around much by those in power.

Eventually, Diana is throwing up by the toilet and is revealed to have a serious eating disorder and when she’s changing into a dress at one point, she cuts herself. These scenes almost feel a bit reminiscent of Black Swan especially when Diana is dancing in front of a mirror and seems to be living in an alternate reality. The undressing of scarecrows and other interesting scenarios reflect Diana’s attempts to escape the reality in which she seems to be living in which becomes a nightmare at times in its excesses. The movie plays the 1980’s song “All I Need Is a Miracle” near the end and the music is absolutely appropriate. All it will take for Diana to live a “normal” life is a miracle but how can she escape the fate that was bestowed upon her by her life’s circumstances?

Of course, the whole premise of Spencer is ambiguous and metaphorical. Some scenes with Maggie seem to be more in Diana’s imagination although they could be happening in real life. I’m not entirely sure and that is how Larrain toys with the audience of his film. Some scenes, including one where Diana is standing on the edge of some stairs breaking off a necklace, seem to be open to interpretation as to what the actual symbolism is regarding these sequences which, at times, feel a lot more likely to be happening in an alternate reality. But, the whole movie is open to audience interpretation, particularly the film’s ending.

Kristen Stewart has come a long way as an actress and nails this performance. It’s a bullseye and her career will benefit from it especially if it takes her all the way to an Oscar win. The nomination is most likely secured but given Jessica Chastain as her competition, if I was forced to choose, Stewart would come in second. But, it’s very close. Chastain’s role was admittedly a lot more showy and Stewart maintains a lot of unexpressed emotions throughout her role as Diana which may be harder to convey than the more open vulnerability Chastain displayed on screen. In any event, Stewart is to be commended for not only capturing a strong physical resemblance to her character but for embodying the very essence of Diana, particularly towards the end when Diana plays a stand in for the aforementioned scarecrow.

If another Oscar nod would come from this fine ensemble of actors, it would be for Hawkins who is an Oscar darling and rightfully so. She deserves a nod for Best Supporting Actress. Hawkins and Stewart play off each other like two finely tuned violins and Hawkins is absolutely sublime in her pivotal scene with Stewart towards the film’s conclusion.

Spencer is ultimately too smart for its own good. It could have let the audience in on more but what it chooses to let us in on is fascinating and intriguing. There’s so much going on here and, sometimes, so little as well. The characters don’t always speak what’s on their mind. They do what’s expected of them. There’s a lot of suppressed emotions in the film’s central character. In a hilarious scene, Diana tells a character that once she leaves, that person can go and… I won’t give that exchange away but Stewart expertly plays the scene as her character finally lets out some hidden hostility towards those around her.

Spencer is a movie that should be seen by anyone who was fascinated by Princess Diana. Kristen Stewart will undoubtedly find her name on the Best Actress Oscar nominee list and deservedly so. This is an interesting picture that Larrain has added to an already impressive resume which includes 2016’s Jackie.

Rating: 8/10

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