The most beautiful film of the year.
Larraín said it’s “a fable from from true tragedy,” however, my simple mind can’t deny it surpassed what he meant. Seemingly diligent story hurled beyond the border of tradition, is shattering the mirror reflecting what it meant to be glamorous, and revolutionizing the nominal concept of how biopic and a moral piece should be depicted.
I was acquainted with Jackie as my first experience with Larraín’s work. And the fact that something he has in the nerve, is dramatizing the film in a such abstraction and drawing attention of viewers by its not merely artistic expression but carefully ornamented allegorical portrayal of subject, has become crystal clear through Spencer. I would say he is pretty similar to a precocious, handy child sometimes we see on a beach, building castles out of sand. The child gives a resilient concentration towards every single details of the castle such as the windows, door handles, roof tiles, or gargoyles if he wants. Similarly, Larraín gives a much attention to each scenes in its every frames. It almost feels like it’s impossible to watch it on its normal pace because I, we, audiences want to indulge ourselves in every magnificent pieces in the frame.
Cinematography as well as the overall mood remind me of something else besides what it initially feels like.
The foggy plain of Sandringham Estate immediately gives a familiar luxury of royal family; furthermore, entire color palette of story sequence in the estate, makes me feel uneasy, in a way I imagine myself entrapped between a warm and cold tension, same as when you are having fever, makes us feel chilly inside altough putting hands on the forehead tells the opposite story.
When fingertips and palm pat against the forehead, you feel warm for a while but couldn’t really say longer as you feel cold at the same time. Color mix is really bright and tingles inside, but also foreshadows the cold atmosphere around there. Moreover, this mood reminded me of the opening scene from “Don’t Look Now (1973),” particularly when girls were playing across the plain in front of their home is gruesomely paralleling with a scene Diana worn a yellow dress and a yellow hat.
I can only remember last time had I felt such delicately beautiful and glamorous, was mostly from “Carol (2015),” “The Favourite (2018),” and “Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019).” From Spencer, one could easily feel the Christmas chime but also the unavoidably excruciating distress. Not a quite overestimation but I felt the very same distress in “Loving Vincent (2017)” demonstrated by the grief and crisis, Van Gogh was facing. Moreover, I can say the aspect of watching paintings would be the case for Spencer with or without the painting.
Well there are much, much to say about acting, specially about Kristen Stewart. But let’s save the gem in the end shall we?
About the supporting characters, I would say Queen herself and her consort and grandson were truly minimized, perhaps too efficiently. Stella Gonet one who portrayed the Queen, done a fierce job on giving cold shoulders and smoldering gaze towards Diana as what would most films had done about princess Diana; presuming the probable reality of how Queen treated her. Prince of Wales, Charles, as I yet to know more about him from the Crown, it’s hard to say whether he was too good or not since I could only assume his characteristic from “The Queen (2006).”
Sally Hawkins, she’s remarkable as always. I’m on the verge of formulating some anticipation for her characters, as she mostly or roughly all the time, depicts a sincere and humble characters. Probably the latest I saw her was from “Paddington 2 (2017)” and “Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).” Maggie was a lovely, necessary redemption for Diana, well at least a good listener. One of the last scenes, when they were starting to emancipate from the depth of her pain together, I could still see the familiar smile.
Gregory and Darren were just okay, I would say not a harm nor a charm needed for the film. However, dialogue shared between Diana and Gregory, about duty and reason also the scene where Gregory reinstating the book about the Queen Anne Boleyn, where it was once belonged, were not considered to be shallow either. Almost the same for Darren, but the fact that Diana and him were shared with a dialogue as they were friends was perhaps the difference. Last time I saw Sean Harris was in “The Green Knight (2021)” as an excessively condescending King Arthur — quite the shift he is having.
Kristen Stewart — her dedication, her effort and natural beauty are priceless.
Someone might say it’s all thanks to Larraín’s composition or elegant costumes including attentively yet masterfully made dresses she wore or even the great music scores. It’s not a lie of course, but it’s inevitably noteworthy to declare Kristen Stewart is holding the wheel, she is the main trigger of this complexity!
Ironically she’s just too beautiful to stay in a mansion for the rest of her life as the next potential consort. She has much more to enjoy from life and most importantly she has the desire to do so, she wants to be the pheasant destined to Kensington, not a pheasant to be shot nor trampled over. From Kristen’s performance one can directly see her delicacy over matters, a deep sorrow and a torturous pressure imbedded by her husband and his family. Actually, I’m highly positive about the fact that it wouldn’t face much objection to say Kristen’s Diana is the most quintessential portrayal of princess Diana so far!
At the same time having the concern Kristen did a great fantastic job on portraying the princess, she also succeeded the position being one of the most daring and potent woman character, like her predecessors.
I was keep thinking of Jackie (2016) portrayed by Natalie Portman in Larraín’s previous masterpiece. Two characters possess much of the same strong emotions and devotional mentality for hardships they are facing. Furthermore, it would have become equal as a crime, if I won’t mention about the legendary trio of powerful women. In “The Hours (2002)” it was my first time, enlightened and truly impressed by a deeply-rooted, passionate acting by three wonderful women — Nicole Kidman, Meryl Streep and Julianne Moore. Kristen as well, stepping the same path they succeeded.
As I mentioned a bit about it, film would be shaped quite differently if they hadn’t have the music score pairing with each of the depressing, daunting and joyful, bright scenes we have seen. Jonny Greenwood’s vigorously discordant music scores are truly essential for us to follow Diana’s attributes. It is almost as if we are re-imagining the situation Daniel Day-Lewis’ Mr. Plainview from “There Will Be Blood (2007)” had with Eli Sunday.
All in all, Spencer was one of most waited film of the year 2021 and it gave me much much joy I only ever dreamt of. I would be happy of course, to see the film run in the Academy Awards with possibly winning or at least nominating in costume & production design, makeup & hairstyling, cinematography, directing, writing, music and last but not least, actress in a leading role!
If it won’t run further as one would expect; nevertheless, it would still be the most striking piece of work in the history of films!
Thank you all, and love you Kristen.
