From the very first words on screen ('A fable from a true tragedy'), Spencer announces that it will not be a typical biography and keeps its word. It's a mix of thriller and artistic horror that uses Diana's true story to depict something more. Pablo Larraín achieves this effect with the excellent use of space (narrow corridors and tight rooms filmed in a way to emphasize the claustrophobic impression) and by giving the whole movie a surreal atmosphere - dream is mixed with reality, reality with delusion. The cast help with building an eerie atmosphere, especially the fantastic Timothy Spall, in the role of Major Gregory, who moves through the Windsor mansion almost like a ghost. The key theme of the film is the clash of two worlds - the royal family and its suffocating traditions, with the lonely Diana, who desperately tries not to surrender to them, to escape the deadly stagnation of the past, towards freedom and finding herself. The real star here, however, is, as always excellent, Kristen Stewart. Not everyone believed that she would be able to play an icon like Diana, but she did it flawlessly. She captured her essence, replenishing it with own energy, which helped creat a flesh-and-blood figure, not a cheap imitation. Stewart perfectly shows the complexity of her character - the fragile mental stability (she's talking with a ghost and jacket), mood changes, spontaneity suppressed by the royal family, but also energy, rebellion and motherly love for children. Claire Mathon follows her everywhere, chasing Diana through corridors, lawns, empty rooms and an abandoned houses. There are also close-ups characteristic of this cinematographer, and the whole picture is beautifully complemented by Johnny Greenwood's music. But what impresses most is Stewart absolute authenticity, the spontaneity that emanates from her especially during scenes with her sons or sequences on the beach. This skill brings life into a shackled Diana and creates a role worthy of all praise that she collects.
Review of Spencer
