+ Also Showing Spencer

AAAA

Dir: Pablo Larraín Starring: Kristen Stewart, Timothy Spall Cert: 12A 117min Following the success of Jackie (2016), the moving drama in which Pablo Larraín examined the fateful events of November 22, 1963, through the prism of the young woman closest to it; the Chilean director is back with another gilded woman at a key point in her life. The moment in time for Princess Diana is a Christmas weekend spent at Sandringham in 1991. Introduced as “a fable from a true tragedy,” Larraín uses this setting to explore the fractured relationship between Diana, her husband and the royals, a fracture made more evident by the unwavering protocols in place. Spencer touches upon issues of alienation and despair, which manifest themselves in Diana’s bulimia and a series of dream sequences involving another ill-fated royal, Anne Boleyn. Beautifully shot by Claire Mathon (Portrait of a Lady on Fire) with an emotive Johnny Greenwood soundscape, and Jacqueline Durran’s sumptuous costume designs (ballgowns = Unhappy Di; jeans and jumper = Happy Di), Spencer is a triumph for all concerned, but notably for Kristen Stewart. Without doing a full-on impersonation, the actress manages to convey the inner torment (‘’will they kill me, do you think?’’) of a young woman whose only comfort in this personal nightmare is the company of her two young sons. I smell Oscars.