I have come to terms that Pablo Larrain is just not for me. While all my film mutuals swooned over the moody shots of Natalie Portman walking into sunsets and foggy cemeteries in Jackie, I found myself checking my watch. I love a moody, slow film. I even love dense films, ones that require our attention for each word and unspoken glance. Often I find Larrain prioritizes style for substance, best evidenced by his previous effort Ema. For some reason, I felt Spencer would be the catalyst for change. The layers of Diana, and her troubled relationship with the crown, seemed to be impossible to fumble. Yet, Spencer left me not only disappointed in how Diana was portrayed, the limits of her depth, but wondering if perhaps Kristen Stewart will never surpass mediocrity as an actress.
Considered a frontrunner for the Best Actress Oscar, Stewart plays a one-note Diana Spencer. Sure, she received no help from the limited script, but even her embodiment felt like she was watching an old interview and mimicking the motions: the head tilts, the shifting eyes, and the chin-down posture. In this universe, Diana is a perpetual victim often of her own mental state. While the real-life Diana had troubles, eating disorders and suicidal thoughts most well documented, she also arguably was a strong woman who very publicly refused to play by the skewed rules she was bound by while married to Prince Charles, and even when divorced. Those who knew Diana have criticized the film for this reason and, while the film itself takes place over a Christmas holiday, the limited view into who Diana truly was felt particularly jarring. While more seasoned, or talented, actresses might do wonders with limited material, Stewart never made Diana feel like a sympathetic character despite it being well-deserved sympathy. The supporting cast, Timothy Spall and Sally Hawkins, are there to support Stewart’s performance but greatly overpower her. Particularly, Sally Hawkins offers the only true charisma and depth to the film. When she is not there, her presence is missed and when she is there, the film magically feels ten-times better. Her relationship with Diana feels authentic for this reason and while she suffers from “best-friend syndrome”, Hawkins manages to offer what Stewart’s own performance lacks: life.
Spencer is a technically beautiful film and falls in-line with Larrain’s standard: style over substance. The cinematography, score, and costume design do wonders but fail to overpower an underwhelming script and uneven pacing. While the score presents as a horror film and, what we know about Diana and her final years with Prince Charles, should feel fitting the film never truly takes that step and risk, instead choosing to wallow in personifying it’s titular character as a pitiful victim. Even when Diana shows resolve and strength in the final moments, Stewart never shrugs eternal sadness. These final moments, after all, should fill an audience with emotional resolve. However, it felt like a cheap switch after almost two-hours of an unfairly one-note story.
I hate that this film, and it’s most anticipated offerings, underwhelmed me. Though, it does have a feat in that it made me feel less for Diana, a figure I actually greatly admire, than I ever thought possible...
Rating: 5/10