Spencer Movie Review

Spending time with the family during the holidays can be a wonderful and heartwarming experience. It can also be emotionally fraught with unspoken emotions and arguments that have yet to be resolved.

The new movie, Spencer, takes place over Christmas in the early 1990s. Princess Diana (Kristen Stewart), as tradition commands, is spending the holiday with her husband and her in-laws. Her “fairy tale” marriage to Prince Charles (Jack Farthing) is at its breaking point. Reigned in by Major Alistar Gregory (Timothy Spall), the only person she can trust is her dresser, Maggie (Sally Hawkins). As her mental health declines and she begins to see the ghost of Anne Boleyn (Amy Manson), she has a choice. Diana can continue to stay where she is and spiral out of control or break free, knowing that her life will never be the same.

OMG. Spencer is not only one of the best films of the year, but also a surefire contender come award season. Stewart’s Diana is truly exceptional. This is a woman who just wants love, but is treated as a commodity by the ones who are closest to her. She tries to fit in, but it is quite obvious that Diana sticks out like a sore thumb. I have zero complaints about this movie. The tension starts with the opening shot and does not let up until the credits roll. It is gloriously uncomfortable to watch, knowing what we know about Diana’s all too short life.

My favorite aspect of this film is that it destroys the myth that American actors cannot play British characters. While we generally accept British actors (i.e. Man of Steel) playing American characters, the same cannot be said when the situation is flipped. The most frequent complaint is that the accent the performer uses is more of a caricature than the real deal. Stewart is so good in the role that I almost forgot that I was watching a piece of fiction and not a documentary.

Do I recommend it? Absolutely.

Spencer is currently in theaters.

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Love Wedding Repeat Review

Defined simply, a wedding is a public commitment between two individuals who are ready, willing and able to make a life together. But we all know that weddings are far from simple.

Love Wedding Repeat premiered on Netflix last month.

All Jack (Sam Claflin) wants is to make sure that his sister Hayley (Eleanor Tomlinson) has a perfect wedding day. The day starts out smooth, but then it goes to Hades. Combine Jack’s angry ex-girlfriend Amanda (Freida Pinto), his dream girl who he has unspoken feelings for, Dina (Olivia Munn) and Hayley’s drug addled ex-boyfriend, Marc (Jack Farthing), and you have nothing but trouble.

Hoping to prevent embarrassment, Hayley asks Jack to put a sedative in Marc’s champagne glass. But before they can sit down, their places at the table are switched and the perfect wedding day is about to descend into chaos.

I can kind of see why this film got the reaction it did, but it is not as bad as it is made out to be. The movie slightly invokes the screwball comedies of the 1930’s and 1940’s, but with a modern twist. It’s nowhere near award worthy, but as romantic comedies go, I’ve seen much worse.

Do I recommend it? I am leaning toward yes.

Poldark Series 4 Episode 1 Review

*Warning: this review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk if you have not seen the episode.

For the last three years, Poldark has brought romance, drama, politics and a shirtless Aidan Turner to millions of fans.

Last night, the fourth series premiered on PBS.

The series picks up shortly after the third series ended. Ross (Aidan Turner) and Demelza’s  (Eleanor Tomlinson) marriage is back on track. But Hugh Armitage (Josh Whitehouse) is still in love with Demelza, despite her gently turning him down.  While this is happening, there is turmoil in Cornwall. The rich get richer while the poor are starving and dying.  George Warleggan (Jack Farthing) still covets power and taking Ross down. But unlike last season, despite his misgivings, Ross knows that he must step up to protect the people of Cornwall from the greedy and power-hungry.

I really liked the episode. It felt like a natural continuation of the previous series. I also very much liked the potential narratives that the premiere introduced for the coming season.

I recommend it.

Poldark airs on PBS on Sundays at 9pm. 

Poldark Review

Warning. This review contains mild spoilers. Read at your own risk if you did not watch last night’s episode of Poldark.

The thrill and the danger of a beloved television show returning for a new season is that it must equally expand both character and narrative while keeping the same elements that hooked the audience during the previous season or seasons.

Last night, the third series of Poldark premiered on PBS.

The third series picks up a few months after the second series. Ross (Aidan Turner) and Demelza’s (Eleanor Tomlinson) marriage is both happy and stable. While all seems well in Nampara, the opposite can be said at Trenwith. Elizabeth Warleggan (Heida Reed) is pregnant and near her due date, but she is unsure if the child’s father is Ross or her husband, George (Jack Farthing). As per the previous seasons, there continues to be no love lost between Ross and George.

Meanwhile, there are new characters. Elizabeth’s son by her first husband, Geoffrey Charles (Harry Marcus) is becoming a young man who is feeling stifled under the control of his mother and stepfather. Morwenna Chynoweth, one of Elizabeth’s cousins (Ellise Chappell) is brought in as Geoffrey’s governess. When Demelza’s younger brothers Sam (Tom York) and Drake (Harry Richardson) join Ross and Demelza at Nampara, they bring trouble and a bit of excitement to their sister’s house.

I have not read beyond the 4th book, (which coincides with the ending of the last series), but I have a feeling that this will be a good season. It has the drama, the romance and roller coaster ride the fanbase is eagerly looking forward to.

I recommend it.

Poldark airs on PBS at 9PM on Sundays.