Spencer - A Movie Review

Always treasure the valuable moments life has to offer. Each day is an adventure.

Spencer is a 2021 film based on the life of the late Princess Diana. During the Christmas holidays in 1991, Diana is having a difficult time controlling her mental health. Struggling in the demanding royal life, Diana ends her decade-long marriage.

I never knew much about the life of Princess Diana so I did my research before seeing Spencer. An exquisite film that focuses on royal life, the benefits of mental health, and extravagant filmmaking, Spencer did not evoke the positive impacts of what Princess Diana did for her country, instead choosing to focus on her deteriorating mental health.

Kristen Stewart bestows one of the best performances in her career as an actress. Stewart’s study of the life of Princess Diana was studied closely and in the highest regard. She trained for six months to speak the British accent.

I honestly forgot that this was Stewart. Her mannerisms, emotion, and devotion to the role was the highlight of Spencer. I wish Stewart the best during awards season during the year.

My favorite scenes of all in Spencer were the interactions between Princess Diana and her sons, William and Harry (Jack Nielen and Freddie Spry). Moments where they acted out stories or comforted one another was endearing.

Every interaction that Diana has within the film is integral. Harry Potter fans will recognize Timothy Spall. Jack Farthing, Sean Harris, Stella Gonet, Richard Sommel, Elizabeth Berrington, and Sally Hawkins all make memorable appearances. Hawkins’ role was based on a real figure who wished to remain anonymous during filming.

As a whole, Spencer is an exquisite film. Cinematically the picture was stunning. The camera closely followed characters when they were walking through a field or a room, studying all the segments of royal life. Like most historical films, Spencer wasn’t presented in the style of a documentary, but rather as a film.

An immense shoutout goes to Jacqueline Durran for her extraordinary costume designs. One dress worn by Stewart was beautifully designed, becoming the signature dress of the film. Hair and makeup were also spectacular resembling styles from the period.

As wonderful as Spencer is, the downside of the film is that it detailed too much of Princess Diana’s negative outlook of her time in royal life. For most of the film, Princess Diana is in a downward spiral, often hallucinating unhealthy visions.

For those who have never followed the life of Princess Diana, like me, this film failed to incorporate the positive impacts of what she did for her country. It made it seem like she never liked this life and wanted to escape in any way that she could.

Pablo Larrain was fortunate enough to dictate a deep story about Princess Diana but he failed to execute the achievements of this woman. Instead, the film fell into a pathway of how toxic royal life can be and what it can do to your mental health.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. Larrain worked closely with his cast, succeeding in capturing the personality and mannerisms of the late princess. Most of the figures who worked closely with Princess Diana noted how spot-on Kristen Stewart’s performance was.

There are some moments that could be triggering to audiences that detail the negative hindsight of ailing mental health. There is one hallucination that is so agonizing to watch that it made me cringe. And feel like I chipped a tooth.

Spencer is a good biographic that I recommend audiences see, especially those who are history buffs. It’s worth a watch, especially for Stewart’s praiseworthy performance.