Kristen Stewart earns rave reviews for 'stunning' Princess Diana performance


The first reviews for the Princess Diana film Spencer are in, and it sounds like Kristen Stewart nailed it.
Pablo Larraín's Spencer came to the Venice Film Festival on Friday for its world premiere, and the early reviews have been rapturous, with critics particularly heaping praise on Stewart's lead performance as Princess Diana. The film follows Diana in 1991 as she makes the decision to leave Prince Charles.
"I can't say enough about Stewart's performance," wrote Deadline's Pete Hammond, who declared it a "bracing, bitter, moving, and altogether stunning turn."
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Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter wrote that Stewart's "finely detailed work on the accent and mannerisms is impeccable," while Variety said that she "doesn't just do an impersonation ... she transforms," though the review noted that "on the level of impersonation she's superb." DiscussingFilm's Ben Rolph also praised Stewart's "unparalleled" performance, while IndieWire's David Ehrlich declared her a "genius."
Stewart spoke during a press conference at the festival about taking on the role, describing feeling "more pleasure in my physicality making this movie than I have on anything," while reflecting on Diana's "penetrating energy," Variety reports. She's widely expected to score a Best Actress nomination at the 2022 Oscars for the film — and some pundits are already predicting she'll win.
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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
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