SPENCER

Kristen Stewart marvelously fills the shoes of Princess Diana in this story which unfolds within the course of 3 days: Christmas Eve - Boxing Day at the Sandringham estate. The film beautifully portrays Diana's mental health concerns and her patches of being out of touch with reality due to the shocking scandal of Prince Charles' affair being made public and the impending end to their marriage. Diana is a prisoner, a fish within a fish bowl. She's constantly on display and judged by the Royal Family, her country, and the world for that matter. Although, Stewart does a fantastic job in honing in on the grace, vulnerability, and humbleness that made Diana loved around the world. The scenes with her children are at times heartwarming and heartbreaking. At other times, you share Diana's pain whether she's constantly being harassed by the paparazzi or having to maintain her poise within the estate, knowing full well how much she's looked down upon and talked about behind her back. She also has to go up mostly against Timothy Spall who plays Major Alistar Gregory and is hired by the Royal Family as security but also to look after Diana. Look after in the manner of ensuring she's where she's expected to be and on time; wearing the proper wardrobe for the specific occasion, etc. Stewart's and Spall's chemistry is terrific as Spall is always respectful and knows his place around the Princess, but also doesn't back down from her either. Hair, makeup, and costumes did their best to make Stewart look as close to Diana as they could and they absolutely succeeded, as there are flashes where you believe it really is Diana onscreen. Not much of a marketing push behind this one but worth checking out! 7.5/10