Spencer

Neon | Release Date: November 5, 2021

6.8	USER SCORE Generally favorable reviews based on 305 Ratings

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JLuis_001Nov 6, 2021

Diana Spencer is a tragic figure. Basically everything that happened to her in her adult life was tragic. From the miserable life she had with the English royal family, to the overwhelming media harassment she received after her divorce,Diana Spencer is a tragic figure. Basically everything that happened to her in her adult life was tragic. From the miserable life she had with the English royal family, to the overwhelming media harassment she received after her divorce, which culminated in her death trying to escape the paparazzi. And now, after so long since her death. Her tragic death. Her figure and her presence continue to be exploited.

In this case, well actually in all the current cases that represent these people, I find it incredibly surprising.
I say this because Diana Spencer had to be a perfect princess for the royal family. And nowadays, Diana Spencer has to be the perfect figure for all the people who have mythologized her. Pablo Larraín plays in that arena with his newest film. Basically evoking everything he did in Jackie, but for some reason it's always been said that you can't use the same trick with an audience that already expects or knows it, and Spencer is basically the romanticized version of a series of events that the screenwriter decides to imagine in his own way, giving all the spotlight to his protagonist, but leaving aside any substantial elements at its core.

And yes, Kristen Stewart even with her bad accent gives what is perhaps the best performance of her career, but once you notice all the nuances that she was able to impregnate into her performance, there's no more, because the story doesn't give her something else to do.

Everything is speculative. And the film defends that with its " A fable from a true tragedy"
It would be so much more interesting if this had not already been so thoroughly explored.

Spencer is a well-made film, I can't deny that, but the setting and the style can't make up for the lack of a better narrative, and more than anything, a different dynamic.

Larraín plays the same notes through the whole thing, and never wanders outside the box, so he delivers a correct but inconsequential film.

It will certainly give Stewart the Oscar because we know how the business works, but beyond that, I'm not taking anything with me from this fable.

Spencer doesn't humanize Princess Diana, it does something much worse. It idealizes her.… Expand

3 of 4 users found this helpful31

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moviecritic68Nov 10, 2021

This movie was very difficult to sit through. I guess to put it in perspective ... Boringly monotonous. Film concentrated on a short period of Diana's reign and the gist of her unhappiness could have been told in a much shorter version.

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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DinesVermataNov 28, 2021

An artistic attempt at telling Princess Diana's story that left me cold. At the end of it, you wonder: What was the point in making a film so devoid of real insight and emotion? The lovely cinematography and Stewart's performance doesn'tAn artistic attempt at telling Princess Diana's story that left me cold. At the end of it, you wonder: What was the point in making a film so devoid of real insight and emotion? The lovely cinematography and Stewart's performance doesn't quite save it.… Expand

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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JacobinaDasousaNov 28, 2021

Larrain's attempt at making a highbrow Diana character study fails miserably. The script let's the entire endeavor down. A great central performance cannot save this.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

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TVJerryNov 17, 2021

Anyone expecting something akin to The Crown will be greatly disappointed. This “imagined” story is set at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate over the Christmas weekend, 1991. Essentially, we’re given an extreme close-up at the mental stageAnyone expecting something akin to The Crown will be greatly disappointed. This “imagined” story is set at Queen Elizabeth’s Sandringham Estate over the Christmas weekend, 1991. Essentially, we’re given an extreme close-up at the mental stage of Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart) as she struggles with the royal family’s demands and her own discontent. The expected characters are there, as are some of the staff for interactions, but the large portion is dominated by Diana's dilemnas. The script is somewhat repetitive, the pace drags at times and the music is dominated by horribly distracting free-form jazz (maybe to mirror her inner discord). Stewart’s nuanced creation deftly walks the line between despondent, sweet and angry. Whether what happens in the film is remotely real, Stewart’s performance and the fabulous fashions that she wears are the film’s greatest assets.… Expand