Review: Spencer

Image courtesy of Neon.

Pablo Larrain's "Spencer" is another in a long line of movies in recent years that have observed part of the life of an iconic historical figure - in other words, the picture is set during a short window of time that is meant to give us some insight into their personality, psyche or a particular moment during which they achieved something or faced challenges. In other words, "Spencer," which spends a fraught weekend with Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart), is not meant to be a hagiography.

As such, it works pretty well, namely because of the film's gorgeous cinematography, which makes due with some spare locations, and Stewart's sympathetic portrayal of the princess of Wales. The film aims to give us a glimpse of Diana's state of mind at some point in the early 1990s as she battles the Royal Family's traditions and expectations of how they believe she should act as a royal.

The film begins with Diana making her way to a remote palace where the royals are about to celebrate Christmas. She is lost and pulls over to ask directions at a local pub, where the patrons seem shocked to find a princess in their midst. As she nears the palace, she observes a scarecrow that apparently was on the property of her childhood home, which has now been shuttered. This delays her even further, until the palace's chef (Sean Harris) notices her on the side of the road and intervenes.

Much of the picture is spent in the claustrophobic confines of the palace - which is absurd, considering how large the place is - as Diana intentionally shows up late for dinner, scoffs at the tradition of the Royal Family adding three pounds per person over the holidays to prove they had "fun" and being disagreeable with the former military officer (Timothy Spall, embodying the stiff upper lip here) who is the eyes and ears of the family, and constantly appears to be spying on Diana's comings and goings.

In between all of this, we get glimpses of her somewhat limited personal life - especially the times she spends with her sons, William (Jack Nielen) and Harry (Freddie Spry) as well as a woman and confidante who helps her "dress" named Maggie (Sally Hawkins). It's not difficult to see why she remains guarded throughout the picture - Spall's character always seems to be lurking, a replacement dresser is quick to spread gossip and report on anything Diana does and the royals are fairly cold to her, Charles (Jack Farthing), especially.

Outside of this general setup, "Spencer" doesn't stray too far. It's not like "The Queen," which portrayed how a royal attempted to adapt to the changing times, but rather acts almost like a chamber piece. When Diana becomes obsessed with reading about the life of Anne Boleyn (Amy Manson), the appearance of that woman's ghost gives the film an almost spectral quality. 

Much like Larrain's previous "Jackie," which chronicled the former first lady's days in the aftermath of her husband's assassination, the director's latest film is also interested in observing how a very famous woman handles the enormous expectations that she faces. "Jackie" was, perhaps, a little more to the point than this film, although this one works well enough too. It helps that Stewart pours so much into the role.

At times, the film makes her come off as petulant, which some may find objectionable, but as I'd mentioned before, the film isn't the type of biopic that one might typically expect in which the lead role is a flawless individual who rises above less-favorable behavior. 

The film ends on a note of release in which Diana and her boys take a ride in a convertible on a windy day singing along to a 1980s earworm. After watching her squirm in the gilded cage in which she has been trapped for much of the film, it's somewhat cathartic. "Spencer" may not tell us that much about the life of Princess Diana, but it does a good job of capturing how she must have felt like a prisoner in her own life. It's an engaging experience.