Spencer
So here we are . . . yet another interpretation of Diana’s tragic life, this time told through eyes of Chilean director Pablo Larraín, who brought us the excellent ‘Jackie’ a few years back.
If you’re looking for ‘The Crown’ this, isn’t it . . . Pablo Larraín’s film is a detached portrait of contained hysteria with vulnerability, and flights of fantasy in a very artistic style. Fairly like its predecessor – it’s a story a woman going through a private meltdown in the public eye.
Kristen Stewart is great actor but this feels like a bad impersonation. Nods to the great supporting cast; Sally Hawkins & Timothy Spall, who lift the film to watchable status. There are fantasy elements involving Anne Boleyn, whom Diana thinks she has something in common with . . . yes, stop laughing.
Then there’s the score – which Jonny Greenwood (from Radiohead) has provided. I like some of his music particularly the soundtrack to ‘Phantom Thread’ . . . but this is so intrusive. It’s loud, awkward, jarring, misplaced & misjudged. It makes the whole experience unwatchable. But maybe that’s the point?
The film displays an array of iconic outfits, and some of them look great but one particular outfit did remind me of a lemon drizzle cake – I’ll leave that to your imagination. There’s lots of steady cam shots of Diana running down long corridors, which is obviously some sort of homage to the Overlook Hotel from The Shining with Jonny Greenwood’s crazy score over the top. Although the jazzier bits were ok. I won’t mention the ending because it’s so bad . . .
Spencer left me cold, it’s dull, boring (actually), bloated and just a little bit ridiculous. It will definitely win an Oscar or a Golden Globe.
It opened last week and is available pretty much everywhere.
