It is the story of a princess who refuses to become queen. The anti-fairy tale lived by Lady Di is summed up in the new film by Pablo Larraín , which had already set out to show the distress of an icon in Jackie in 2016. Dark and scary, Spencer , available on Amazon Prime Video on January 17, brings us back to the hellish Christmas holidays which prompted the Princess of Wales to divorce her royal husband.
Pearls, haute couture and big depression
In 1991, Diana chomped on the brakes. At the end of the line, bulimic in the general indifference, exhausted by the paparazzi and the barely hidden infidelities of Charles, she joins her in-laws for the Christmas holidays at Sandringham , the Queen's home by the sea … And birthplace of the princess. From breakfast to dinner, her four outfits of the day (special mention for the sublime white Chanel dress in the poster) are planned in advance for her, totally deprived of free will.
The pressure cooker is ready to explode, and the entire Royal Family on site can see it, from Elizabeth to William and Harry to the staff. So, when she notices that her husband is offering her the same enormous pearl necklace as to her mistress (cuckoo Camilla, never far and crossed earlier at mass), the cup is full. In the evening, Diana gets lost in reading a biography of Anne Boleyn , martyr queen wife of Henry VIII , and compares herself, looking for a way to escape the worst, and to spare her children.
Stunning Kristen Stewart
Long awaited at the turn after the remarkable performance of Emma Corrin in The Crown , the American Kristen Stewart ( Twilight, Cafe Society ) is downright stunning in the jaw-dropping shoes of a myth… English adored by all. Moving with mystery, fragility and determination at the same time, the actress serves this infernal whirlwind, this hold that almost made her mad, before pulling herself together.
We force her to weigh herself (a tradition during the holidays), to follow the schedules imposed to the letter, we spy on her, we track her down to the fridges where she comes to binge, we prevent her from going to visit the city. home of her childhood, and, worse, she has no say in the education of her own children. Princess: a dream life only for those who fit the mold ...
What did we think of it?
If the performance of Kristen Stewart convinces, the other characters remain almost nonexistent, presuming no doubt that the spectators will have already unrolled their opinion about them with The Crown . We would have appreciated being able to rely on strong roles opposite and more extensive dialogues to make us understand Lady Di's distress, rather than betting everything on a staging with big strings (oppressive music that stretches out, stares in corner supported, hallucinations of science fiction…).
Only Sally Hawkins (one of the best actresses of the moment, brilliant in The Shape of Water by Guillermo del Toro ), is granted the pretty imaginary role of Maggie, dresser and confidant of Her Royal Highness. Also, the obvious complicity with her children is nicely approached, and one is necessarily attached to this princess alone against all with an extraordinary fate.
Available January 17 on Amazon Prime Video .
Also see The Gilded age, the new saga from the creator of Downtown Abbey
