Spencer - Review (London Film Festival 2021)

All I Need is a Miracle. 4.5 / 5

Directed by Pablo Larraín. The marriage of Princess Diana and Prince Charles has long since grown cold. Though rumors of affairs and a divorce abound, peace is ordained for the Christmas festivities at the Queen's Sandringham Estate. But this year, things will be a whole lot different. Spencer is an imagining of what might have happened during those few fateful days.

Kristen Stewart gives a career defining performance as the People's Princess in Spencer.

Completely disappearing into the role with precise attention to detail to Diana's mannerisms and accent, Stewart and Pablo Larraín paint an exquisite picture of the centre of the storm.

Spanning over a three-day period we follow Diana as she has to steer through a unique family Christmas. As claustrophobia closes in through the people that surround her and her internal battles the way Larraín uses the camera to capture such intimate moments with Jonny Greenwood's score acting as a chaotic internal monologue. The use of classical melodies paired with erratic free jazz only elevates the performances on screen.

A masterful and immersive character observation with a transformative central performance that left me speechless.

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