Spencer Provides A Complexed Portrait Of Princess Diana That's Elevated By Kristen Stewart's Commanding Performance

      Traditional biopics rely on two things to make them successful with audiences. The first is skillful filmmakers with a focused narrative for covering that individuals story, and a capable actor/actress who can transform into the person in question while convincing audiences of the switch. With Princess Diana, any actress chosen to play the iconic figure would be held to the highest standard regarding their performance which makes the choosing of Twilight's Kristen Stewart for the role an unconventionally brilliant one. Not only does Stewart defy all expectations with playing the part, she carries the film on her shoulders with the end result being a flawed yet hauntingly effective character study of a princess on the edge as her marriage breaks down combined with mounting family pressure. 

       Based on true events surrounding the life of Diana, Princess Of Wales, Spencer's plot has her attending Christmas Dinner with her family. While doing so, she decides to end her decades long marriage to her husband Princes Charles upon discovering that he cheated. Spencer's intent to focus on the holiday dinner between the royal British family is an interesting one that makes logical sense as the intent is to show Diana's mental state being impacted by the restrictions the royal family had over both her life and marriage. Although its avoidance of presenting a more traditional image of Diana's life along with the exploring of her characters mental State will be off-putting for some viewers, Spencer is elevated by Stewart's performance which adds a tremendous amount of emotional weight to the story, as well as supporting the films notion that fitting into a royal family is hugely intense with the pressure of doing so being greater than what can be handled.

      The acting by Spencer's cast adds a tremendous amount of believability to the story with Stewart  giving a performance that's as focused as it is mesmerizing. If one found themselves doubting her casting as the Princess Of Wales, they'll be pleasantly surprised by the depth of range she puts up on screen. Sally Hawkins also impresses as Maggie, Diana's only friend at the Estate and her Royal Dresser, who encouraged her to both combat the royal family and fulfill the obligations expected of her. Timothy Spall is excellent as former soldier Major Alistar Gregory, who is revealed to be both unflinching and uncompromising in his efforts to keep Diana in check. Another superb performance delivered is Jack Farthing as the icy Prince Charles of Wales with him often showing visible anger and frustration towards Diana despite being the cause of their divorce. The performances delivered by the young cast are phenomenal with Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry wonderfully aiding Stewart's work as both Prince William and Harry.  Whereas Spencer's cast is fantastic overall, it's Stewart's performance that commands the film with her brilliantly capturing the same mannerisms as soft-spoken Diana to the point of being completely convincing with the rest of the cast backing up her performance.

      Spencer's directing by Pablo Larrain gives off a look and feel that's similar to 2016's Jackie with it using the same style cinematography including close-up images being beautifully captured with wide-angle shots of the films lavish scenery. In terms of tone. Given the depressing nature of the  story, Lerrain utilizes a bleak tone while providing moments that are both funny and uplifting. He also incorporates bits of disturbing imagery to emphasize the bleakness of the story such as the shooting of birds for sport with them shown laying dead on the ground. The score is beautifully composed with it alternating between being a beautiful piece to a more haunting one depending on the emotions flowing throughout the story. At 111 minutes, Spencer's pace is a Slow-moving, though Stewart's performance maintains the audiences interest. With both the visuals and haunting score, Larrain creates a surreal tone that places audiences into the mindset of the characters, particularly Diana with them witnessing the constant shifting of emotions as she feels. 

      When it comes the writing, Spencer's script explores royal family traditions along with themes regarding infidelity, gender roles, paranoia, love, freedom, succession, and scandals. The story is structured to give audiences insight into the kind of treatment which Diana received from her own family, along with feeling trapped in a loveless marriage and her desire to be free from her families grip. Diana's mental health is explored with it declining as her marriage falls apart despite her family pressuring her to remain in it. She's also shown to be having suicidal thoughts such as throwing herself down a flight of stairs, having hallucinations of deceased former queen of England Anne Boleyn, and ripping off her pearls along with eating them when they fall into her soup. Other interesting angles added are Diana's paranoia being fueled by the increasing intrusiveness from the British press and experiencing an eating disorder that makes her deliberately become routinely sick after meals. Despite her struggles, she's shown to always be a loving mother towards her two sons, making her eventual break from her family an uplifting moment although it becomes debatable on whether the same kind of message that the film conveys could've been given with a different outer layer of the story. 

      For those looking for a more broader and straight-forward portrait of Princess Diana's life, Spencer is bound to disappoint as it main plot works as being more of a complexed character study that's centered around a dark time in the Princess of Wales life, which ultimately became her awakening. In retrospect, that's the best way to the view the film with Stewart's mesmerizing performance serving as the anchor for the story. Although audiences will find themselves hoping that Hollywood will bring a more thorough and satisfying exploration of Diana's life someday, Spencer's unique yet gritty character study possesses enough striking scenery, serviceable writing, and devotion from its cast to make it an honorable effort, though not one that will stand as being the definitive film to represent its main female subject.

Final Verdict: Worth watching for Kristen Stewart's terrific performance and those fascinated by the legacy of Diana, Princess Of Wales.

Images Courtesy Of Topic Studios