The movie evoked Kubrick's 'The Shining ' in the depiction of a cold empty stately home where a rigidly traditional Christmas gathering was held each year and cheerlessly celebrated by a family unable to deviate from antiquated rituals in any way. The massive kitchen lacking the traditional smells of Christmas fare, food having been prepared elsewhere, the staff marching around like soldiers drilling, the long empty corridors, the clothing to be worn each day chosen in advance and labeled, and most of all, the freezing cold bleak winter Norfolk countryside. One longed for the cozy living rooms of the average family home with a blazing log fire as the family squeezed around the table loaded with Christmas dinner, having a spontaneous good time.
One of the best scenes was the confrontation between the uncompromising Major Gregory (Timothy Spall) and the nonconformist Princess as he lectured her about duty.
The filming, art direction and acting was superb other than the excruciating performance of Kristen Stewart as the self absorbed Diana. The posturing: head on one side, coyly gazing from under her eyelashes, the constantly hunched shoulders, and the fragile shy act, as when she got lost on the way to Sandringham, came across as phony and made me want to give her a good hard slap and tell her to grow up. I know Diana was supposed to be fragile or mentally unstable, take your pick, but I think Stewart overdid the 'fragile' acting and left out the manipulative selfish side of a woman who had got what she wanted in snagging the country's most eligible bachelor, but wanted her own way 'or else' and worked to upstage him at every turn. IF the real Diana acted this way, Charles could certainly not be blamed for going back to Camilla.
One of the best scenes was the confrontation between the uncompromising Major Gregory (Timothy Spall) and the nonconformist Princess as he lectured her about duty.
The filming, art direction and acting was superb other than the excruciating performance of Kristen Stewart as the self absorbed Diana. The posturing: head on one side, coyly gazing from under her eyelashes, the constantly hunched shoulders, and the fragile shy act, as when she got lost on the way to Sandringham, came across as phony and made me want to give her a good hard slap and tell her to grow up. I know Diana was supposed to be fragile or mentally unstable, take your pick, but I think Stewart overdid the 'fragile' acting and left out the manipulative selfish side of a woman who had got what she wanted in snagging the country's most eligible bachelor, but wanted her own way 'or else' and worked to upstage him at every turn. IF the real Diana acted this way, Charles could certainly not be blamed for going back to Camilla.