One movie has had Oscar buzz since the details surrounding it and its story started to reach the public, and that movie is Spencer. The Oscar buzz is coming from former Twilight star, Kristen Stewart's performance. She goes deep into the role of Princess Diana in a stunning performance. It was weird being one of the only males in the theater, and I was definitely in the younger demographic. There were quite a few older women exiting the theater once it ended, but nonetheless I refuse to let this stop me from seeing an incredible performance. The movie is an observance of excess, and it delves into the breaking of tradition in search of happiness despite the backlash that comes with it.
Spencer is the story of a Christmas holiday weekend at a massive estate for Princess Diana and the royal family. At this point, she is on the outside. She has become ostracized and feels largely unwelcome. She did not come from royalty and seemed more aligned with the anti-establishment movement than being corralled into a structured traditional lifestyle. The only times that Diana is really seen as enjoying her time in the estate is when she is surrounded by her children, where she feels like she can be herself. She does not fit in at the fancy dinners or at any of the scheduled events. Plus, there is always the pressure of being on time and all the attention from the media. Diana is shown multiple times trying to connect with her more common roots and trying to break away from the structure of her life. The story ends with an escape with her two boys and the consumption of some KFC, a happy ending if I have ever seen one.
To give some personal background on this before I try to break down what I just watched, I have very little to no knowledge about the current royal family, and Princess Diana died shortly after I was born. So this means that whatever factual knowledge I bring to this piece comes from reading other reviews of people that had some experience in this field, the information my Dad shared with me after I watched it, and the inferences I made while watching this, and as I mentioned, I was one of the younger people in the theater, so it seems to draw a crowd of those who have more vast wells of prior knowledge, but I am here to say that this is far from a normal film about the royals, and it is not based on factual events.
So, to start this film opens with the lines, "A fable based on a true tragedy." This means that the events depicted in the film are not necessarily fact based, they are more conjecture on what might have happened based on the tension of the family at the time. The tone of the film was melancholic and had elements of horror blended into it as well. At this point, Diana was clearly unhappy in her marriage to the prince, thus the melancholic feeling. Most of the movie, she was brooding over her lack of wanting to be there and comply with the traditions. This was paired with an unsettling soundtrack at times. The music added to the tone. It often felt unsettling with its tune. This helped to transform relatively normal moments of unhappiness into something much deeper and psychological. There were also flashes of dream sequences where Diana would act in very unsettling ways and there was also the presence of a ghost multiple times. In one instance she was eating a bowl of pearls from the necklace she had just ripped off her neck and the crunching of her chewing on them was chilling. There was also a scene where she imagined throwing herself down the stairs, and there were other examples as well that were very off putting. It was never scary, but it was horror adjacent, which might have been why I ended up being more drawn to it than I initially thought I would be.
The main theme that stuck out was the breaking free of the oppression of tradition. Diana was from a more modest background, she came from a farmhouse that was close to the estate, but she did not come from the riches that the royal family did. She had clearly lost the way from where she came from and did not enjoy the path that she had now taken. This was literally pictured by Diana getting lost on the way to the estate. She clearly should have known where it was because that is the area she grew up, but she was lost none the less. Then from the start of her arrival she was against the norms. She was late, did not want to be weighed, wore the outfits on the wrong days/times, kept her boys from the hunt, and wandered the grounds in the view of the public. There are other aspects where she strayed from the norms as well, but those are some of the main ones. Diana did so it seemed in search of happiness, which she only seemed to find in the comfort of her boys. Many of the ideals that were being held by the royal family seemed stiff and outdated. As the woman who dressed Diana phrased it, "They cannot change, but you can." This clearly implies that the royals are stuck in their ways, but thankfully Diana was not. Being from a different background, she understood the joys that true freedom could really bring. That life is not meant to be structured down to the minute with the smallest of details planned, and life is best experienced in its freest form away from the weight of expectations and social norms.
Another key aspect to the film came from the pressure of the media. Clearly there was the very physical and ever-present media in the form of the press trying to take pictures of the royal family, but especially Diana, but this can also be extrapolated to a more modern takeaway as well. One of the central points of the royal family being upset with Diana in this film came from her changing in her room with the curtains open. What would normally be considered a benign occurrence became a huge deal. For a normal person this might be cause for some embarrassment at most but was amplified by the royals. They were worried that someone in the press with a very impressive camera lens might have taken a photo of her doing such, which would have been cause for much embarrassment on their part. So, they decided to sew Diana's curtains closed to prevent this from possibly occurring again. It was also a symbolic action of Diana, and other women, feeling caged and unable to be their true selves due to the media. A modern interpretation can draw in on all the social media platforms and how people interact on them. Diana felt like as long as she was with this family and in the light of the world, she could not be herself. One of the biggest problems in the world right now when it comes to mental health is the appearance of oneself on social media. People try to curate this image of themselves that is perfect, but in reality, everyone falls short of this mark, so there is a separation between what one projects themself to be online, and what a person really is. All this in turn causes mental strife.
The luxurious lifestyle portrayed in this film is insane. From the overhead tracking shot of Diana first entering the compound that had a moat, to any of the interior shots of the place, one could tell that this is money. At times the theme that played in the background reminded me of a slightly off Succession theme, which is the hit HBO show about family drama in the state of excess. The paintings in the estate alone had to be worth millions of dollars. Some of them were bigger than the size of a normal wall and much taller than a normal wall, and there was not just one of these. Plus, there were numerous other massive paintings throughout. All this was amplified further by the decorations and elaborate set up of the meals and the outfits that were worn. In the opening meal scene, everyone in the formal dining room was dressed to the nines and waited for the Queen to take the first bite. Then they slowly and methodically ate their own soup. Similar routines were gone through as the film went on in a monotonous fashion. The clothing was also above and beyond. The elegant dresses that Diana was forced to wear were beyond excess, and this went for all the members in the family. Not only were the outfits in excess, but they literally had maids to help them get dressed. There was so much excess that it was sickening, and there were multiple times when Diana was literally sickened by it.
Overall, this film was incredibly well done. The message it had packed a punch. Visually it was incredible from the outfits displayed, to the interior of the home, and the exterior. Everything seemed to have its place and seemed to be worth high value. If you are expecting a normal movie about royals, change your expectations. This is an unsettling story about a woman that feels trapped by expectations and is struggling to find a way out. I give this 4 stars and recommend watching it. I do not think it is for everyone, but I think if you like it, then you will really enjoy it!
Other Movies This Week:
Kill Bill Vol. 2: A solid sequel, not quite as good as the original, but Uma Thurman is still badass.
Deliverance: An interesting story about what one is willing to do to survive and the dark depths of human nature with some killer banjo music. It also has commentary on the loss of nature due to human construction and destruction. Not to mention that it takes place on the border of Georgia and South Carolina, so it hits close to home. Protect nature!
The Killing Joke: I was feeling a short, animated superhero flick, and this was disappointing. It became notorious because there is an implied sex scene between Batman and Batgirl, and it was very odd as promised. The story tried to preach against the objectification of women, but they were actively objectifying women.
Belfast: A relatively boring film about the importance of family, that home is where your family is, and the sacrifices that are made. A lesser version of JoJo Rabbit. The ending still packs a punch. I was still tearing up at the end. Something about families sticking together always hits home with me.
Trick R' Treat: I love a good horror anthology, but this is not that. It's perfectly average. The story of an Ohio town that loves Halloween, and the strange occurrences that come with it.
Life Aquatic: I want to be a Zissou aboard the Belafonte. Definitely a Wes Anderson film. Visually and from the dialogue, they always standout, and they are always good. What starts out as a Moby Dickesque story, quickly changes into something more artistic and beautiful. I feel like you know you are a film snob if you like Wes Anderson.
Clifford the Big Red Dog: Turn this into a monster film: Spurned red dog left by his family seeks vengeance and wreaks havoc upon New York with his army of genetically modified sheep. A fine enough story about being okay with being different. As a preschool teacher and dog lover, I felt obligated to see this movie about a massive CGI dog. I wish I had the excitement level of the little girl who slowly got closer to the screen as the climax hit.
The Fantastic Mr. Fox: George Clooney was masterful in this role. The animation is so odd, but I loved every minute of it. A beautiful story about family and the potential evils of capitalism.
New Rankings This Week:
The Fantastic Mr. Fox: 4.5 Stars
Spencer: 4 Stars
Life Aquatic: 4 Stars
Kill Bill Vol. 2: 3.5 Stars
Deliverance: 3 Stars
Belfast: 3 Stars
Trick R' Treat: 2.5 Stars
Clifford the Big Red Dog: 2.5 Stars
The Killing Joke: 2 Stars
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