Spencer (2021) Movie Review
Director Pablo Larraín first came onto my radar with Jackie (2016) starring Natalie Portman as Jackie Kennedy. I seriously doubted Portman could pull it off, but she did and I was amazed at how marvelous of a performance Portman was able to give. Larraín’s style came through vividly in Jackie, turning the aftermath of JFK’s assassination into more of a psychological thriller than a tragedy.
When I first heard about Spencer I was eager to see it for two reasons. The first, was because I love Princess Diana and was anxious to see what type of spin Larraín would put on her story. And the second was because he cast Kristen Stewart as Diana, which I had initially thought to be somewhat of a mistake. I have seen quite a few of Stewart’s movies (not just the Twilight franchise) and I’ve seen her give some perfectly fine performances, but I wasn’t sure she could tackle one of the most famous and beloved women in the last few decades. I am happy to report I was incredibly wrong.
Spencer is an imagined version of events that took place at the Sandringham estate in England with the royal family over Christmas. Diana (Kristen Stewart) arrives late to the holiday and right away we get a glimpse into how restrictive Diana’s life is as part of the royal family. Her outfits are labelled for each event, she has to have someone assist her when she dresses, and she isn’t allowed to open up the curtains in her own room. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, Diana finds ways to “act out” and assert her individuality much to the dismay of the royal family. She wears the wrong outfits, shows up late for dinners, and generally disregards the traditions and rules that are set in place.
The movie doesn’t have much of a plot, other than showcasing how suffocating life is for Diana and how she attempts to resist those who are trying desperately to control her. It’s merely moments strung together that create a stifling environment as you feel the walls closing in on Diana as each minute ticks by. Spencer is a movie you sit and experience rather than becoming enraptured by plot points and character motivations.
Kristen Stewart gives the best performance of her entire career. She captures Diana’s accent perfectly. Her awkward and anxious exterior fits well with the direction Larraín takes the movie. He is showcasing Diana behind the scenes, as things are falling apart around her. She is battling an eating disorder, a blatantly unfaithful husband, and in-laws who don’t like her. It would be a lot to have on anyone’s plate much less throwing in being extraordinarily famous and actual royalty. Stewart shows us another side of Diana. She’s cornered, feeling trapped, and lashing out — on herself mainly. Stewart perfectly captures the more angsty side of Diana that audiences might not be familiar with but which undoubtedly had to exist behind closed doors. Spencer is more of a character study than anything else, but it helps that it’s centered around one of the most beloved public figures in the last century.
It’s worth noting how well the costumes were done and how much that contributed to the believability of the movie. Several times throughout the film, I caught myself thinking, “Oh yes, I’ve seen that outfit before.” Diana’s outfits often became iconic and the costume designer Jacqueline Durran did a wonderful job recreating some of Diana’s most well-known looks. It certainly helped to infuse the movie with elements of Diana’s actual life (like the outfits she wore) only made slightly sour thinking about if Diana actually got to pick any of them out herself. Spencer is a tour de force performance for Stewart who proved me wrong one hundred and ten percent. She nailed the accent and mannerisms of the elegant Diana and I was truly amazed by the level of acting she was able to achieve. This is an award-worthy performance for Stewart and she deserves the buzz she’s been getting.
You’ll like this movie if:
1. You like stories about the royal family
2. You loved Princess Diana
3. You want to see Kristen Stewart in the best role of her career
