I have not seen the movie, but having read the script, my sense is that this is not a biopic, not…

I have not seen the movie, but having read the script, my sense is that this is not a biopic, not even what has come to be known as a "snapshot bio." Yes, the story takes place over a compressed period of time (three days) which is typical of the snapshot approach to biopics, use a singular event or time period as a lens through which to interpret the central character, but unlike most biopics which are dramas, this story feels like a mix of genres. This includes psychological thriller or even a horror movie (the central location for the story is Sandringham and the way in which Diana is "imprisoned" there echoes Wendy's terrifying experience in the movie The Shining).

At its core, the story is about a Protagonist (Princess Diana) who is deep into a state of disunity. Trapped in a complicated, loveless marriage (to Prince Charles who is having an affair and treats Diana cruelly), she yearns to be free. Not only of the marriage, but all of the royal trappings, especially the expectations laid upon her as a princess. Confessing that she is mixing alcohol and pills, although not something visualized often in the script, and defying expectations about what to wear and when to show up for what event, Diana is attempting to rebel in her own way.

Ironically, while not much transpires in the external world -- the eventual demise of the Diana-Charles marriage continues even after the story's end -- much does happen in the internal world of Diana's psyche. Memories, fantasies, a bending of what is real and imagined, capped off by Diana's visit to her childhood home. There she tries to piece together the answer to the pressing existential question: How did I become who I am? And pointedly, does she have the strength of courage to becomes who she wishes to be, i.e., freed from her role as princess and prince's wife.

While not a conventional "cradle to grave" biopic or even a "snapshot bio," Spencer accomplishes what such movies aspire to: Provide insight and understanding of the Protagonist.

Tomorrow: Plot.