Spencer
There is a lot to be said about this flick. About it's qualities and it's problems. It has a few problems, but it remains a fascinating watch nonetheless.
The main problem is that it tries too hard.
It hits you over the head too hard and too often with the image of the frail little blond bird trampled by the heartless in laws and their cronies. About the hard life in a suffocating environment. As if we did not know. Or disagreed, for that matter. Yes, it must drive a person crazy. And yes, you can walk away.
Maybe, it's me being a republican (in the European sense of the word, mind you), but I cannot help but think that women like Diana (and by extension Meghan Markle) know/should know what they are getting into when they join this club. Anyway.
The portrayal of the royal family is both a strength and a frailty. The quality: it hammers home the central message. On the other side, especially Charles looked onedimensional and like a charicature. The embodiment of the stiff upper lip. Not even a slight trace of the man Diana fell in love with. Which begs the question even more: what made her love this man so much that she wanted to be there in the first place?
I cannot say much about the two boys, since I don't know enough about them and in that position, you tend to base your interpretation of the characters on the men they later became.
Which brings us to the star of the film. Which is justified, because she really carries the film. It is really striking how much scenes she spends alone and how little screen time the other family members have.
Being a European with an American accent, I am not well placed to judge the British accent she put on. But I understand how crucial this must be to the English viewers.
That said, Kristen Stewart delivers a tour de force as Diana. She really draws you into her world, using mostly body language and intonation to do so. A very strong performance, resulting in deserved Oscar buzz. Even if it's with an eyeroll at the typical Hollywood hogwash. Why typical? Because Kristen Stewart delivered strong performances in the past (as Joan Jett, for one), but it's not until she does the tragic woe is me character that the Academy notices.
Two small PSes:
1) I liked the kitchen chef because, imho, he had a bit of a Grand Budapest Hotel-air over him.
2) Jonny Greenwood does better scores than Thom Yorke.