London Film Festival Watch #1
“A fable based on a true tragedy.”
Spencer is a biopic, but it’s a biopic in the way that only Pablo Larraín can make. The film fully integrates you into the mind of Diane and her fluctuating mental state under the oppressive control of the Royals. It depicts a pivotal weekend in Diane’s life, when she realised that her marriage wasn’t working and makes the decision to change the direction her life was heading in.
The film is helmed by an outstanding performance by Kristen Stewart, that will definitely earn her an Oscar nom, if not the award itself, for her enthralling portrayal of Princess Diane. It’s truly something spectacular, from the near-perfect accent to the little mannerisms in her body language, the angst and stress was written all over her body (especially her shoulders, my god they put on a performance of their own in this film), every part of her performance felt delicately crafted and it was done so to perfection. It’s so infused with emotion that I found myself getting emotional at the strangest of moments. There’s a part in the film where Diane is playing and talking to her children that is just beautiful but so devastatingly sad it breaks your heart. Honestly after a few minutes I stopped seeing Kristen Stewart… she just became Diane. Easily one of the best performances of the year.
The supporting cast are great too, Sally Hawkins has a beautiful – all be it brief – role in the film, however this film is a dissection of Diane in a tumultuous time in her life. Since the film makes the decision to be character study of the complexities of the Princess of Wales, we rarely spend time with the other characters, but this is to the benefit of the film as it really allows you to get into Diane’s psyche, placing you firmly in her scattered brain, bring you along for the ride.
The film itself is a technical triumph in every way possible. Johnny Greenwood composes a decadent, transcendent score that is just stunning. It creates this sense of anxiety that percolates the entire film, it never feels tense, just uncomfortable, that at moments builds into a sense of claustrophobia, in the best way possible. There’s a scene at a dinner table with pearls and music that is just so hauntingly beautiful. A choice that I didn’t love in the moment but on reflection really enjoy, is how the score dissipates at the end of the film and is replaced by the radio, simply because it felt like a valve opening, this release that Diane so desperately deserved, which played into the themes of the film so well.
In companion with this incredible score was equally incredible camerawork, which is no surprise coming from Claire Mathon who was the DP of Portrait of a Lady on Fire. Honestly this is probably my favourite aspect of the film, which is saying something as I adored both Kristen Stewart’s performance and Greenwood’s score. The way the camera moves in this film though is a thing of beauty. It’s utilised in such a smart way that subtly conveys the themes of the film in its delicate movements. Throughout the film Diane expresses deep resentment towards the rigid and ordered way the Royals want her to live, and the shots simultaneously reflect this order. The static shots are so rigid themselves and restrict the scenes to function in an ordered way. Pair this with slow pans, lingering shots that are just a beat too long and the symmetry of the set design, it all helps it creating this incredibly uncomfortable and sickening atmosphere. This is then juxtaposed with such beautiful fluidity when we see Diane reflect on her childhood, and early years, and then when she breaks free. It’s just beautiful to see the themes so deeply integrated into all aspects of the film.
Jackie is easily one of my favourite films and I think after this Larraín might just be in my top 10 directors, the way he perfectly crafted each section of the film is astounding. All the elements come together so beautifully to make something that elevates what the biopic genre can do. Like Jackie, this is a film that you can tell was shot on film and it’s absolutely gorgeous, the colour grading, which is very similar to Jackie but just a bit lighter, is done to perfection and paired with the delightful cinematography, and the stunning costumes and set design, there’s not one shot that isn’t visually delightful to look at.
The film is far more psychological than I expected going in, where actually the main thematic thread of the film is really about the psychological state of Diane. As I’ve mentioned, the film plays about with the idea of control vs freedom and the torturous nature of order when order is all you have. I left the film feeling sick of the position Diane was put in because it seems like absolute hell, she had no autonomy and any chance she saw to reclaim it, she took, no matter the cost, or of the opinions of the Royal family. The film plays with this theme at any moment it can, in every element it can, that at points it does get a little tiresome. The film also while intentional in its pacing to exemplify this theme, going from slow order to chaotic face-paced freedom, is just a bit too slow at the start, and takes about 10 minutes to really start. However, these are nit-picks in what is a beautiful film and an emotional tribute to Diane.
★★★★1/2
