Despite her sudden and tragic death being over 20 years ago now, the love the public has of her still feels fresh today. So it is clear, that it is still a hot topic.
What interested me the most about this feature, was the director being Pablo Lorrain. Ever since seeing 'Jackie' in 2016, I really liked his style and dangerously intimate camerawork that made it gripping. Along with the added buzz I was hearing of Kristen Stewart's performance, I was pretty excited to see if the hype was real.
While the choices that were made surprised me, I remained satisfied with what I saw.
In terms of style and general production, it is the high quality that I expected. The cinematography by Claire Mathon had that perfect mix of utilising the wide open landscapes as well as intimate interiors to make it feel almost like a prison for our central character.
While it did feel like a Lorrain film, some of the unsettling and almost nightmarish imagery showed hints of going towards something that Darren Aronofsky would make.
Those moments I felt perfectly portrayed this particular moment in history.
The tone of portraying someone's internal thoughts manifest on screen was a bold choice.
It's not one for a mainstream audience. So I can see it alienating certain demographics. But I hope I'm wrong and this style choice is widely accepted.
The cast surprised me, as it wasn't just about Kristen Stewart.
Stewart as Diana I felt gave a very honest portrayal of her at that point in her life whilst almost enhancing enough to match the tone. A nice blend of everything gave us a memorable performance, that I would be fine being a major awards contender.
Timothy Spall was a real scene-stealer. His overseeing presence constantly changed the mood of any scene he was in and had solid chemistry with Stewart.
It was nice to see Sean Harris, who utilised his moments on screen well.
Sally Hawkins was a nice surprise and was a great comfort for Stewart when needed.
As expected from a technical side, it's great to look at, the costumes are almost a character in itself and the locations are spectacular.
Given the topic, this is obviously going to be heavily discussed by many different spokespersons. But I hope the bold and risky style chosen will make it more than just Princess Diana.
This could almost be classified as a psychological horror at times. With Sandringham the haunted house and the Royal Family, the demonic possesors. Statements like that I feel is what makes this film a nice surprise. Even the score by Jonny Greenwood was purposely unsettling whilst also having a Miles Davis-esque vibe.
If I was being nit-picky, I would say some metaphors used were a bit repetitive at times. But I think it showed enough to not be annoying.
Plus, I think some set-pieces in the final act were a bit much for me.
But overall, I really liked this. I was gripped throughout. That was thanks to the ensemble cast, the gorgeous cinematography and the effectively messy score.
It will surprise you, both good and bad. But I hope it's the former, as Lorrain has given us a great vision into the mind of this beloved person.
Rating: 8/10
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