#the royals

inthetags:

reblog and put in the tags a tv show that should never have been cancelled

“Spencer” is a meditation on practical, private horrors. 

Review includes discussions of disordered eating, anorexia, bulimia, and mentions of self-harm.

***Spoilers*** 

Spencer is directed by Pablo Larraín who also helmed “Jackie.” He takes a story we’re familiar with, JFK’s assassination, and presents it as a murder. In “Jackie” a woman witnesses her husband get murdered right in front of her. She has to deal with the practical fallout e.g. where will we live, where will the kids go to school, how will I get a job. She has obvious advantages but in the face of personal trauma she is bound to struggle.

“Spencer” is a similar meditation on practical, private horrors. Diana is a woman who would really benefit from divorcing a checked-out, loser husband and ditching in-laws that are at best indifferent and at worst saboteurs. She is coping by controlling what she can resulting in self-harm, impulsivity, and an eating disorder. Like “Jackie” we’re presented with a captivating performance of an historical figure and attention to the details of the period, but it’s really about a woman realizing she has to get divorced in order to have some hope of future happiness.

Except, uh oh, she’s a princess. Diana ruminates on the fact that she’s married into a family descended from a man who murdered his wives. The monarchy is a multigenerational shit-show and deciding how to get out is agonizing. Despite being young, white, attractive, intelligent, and wealthy, she’s overwhelmed. 

“Spencer” is a devastating depiction of anorexia and bulimia, succeeding in showing why someone would engage in disordered eating and how the behavior manifests. There’s a moment where Diana raids the fridge late at night. She’s dressed in jeans and a sweater, an outfit that for most of the world would be fine to wear to a family dinner, but here she’s out of place. She finds it impossible to eat in front of others, so here’s a moment at the end of the day where she can be in and out of control in the same moment. The horror of her being interrupted in this intimate act is hard to overstate. 

There’s another moment when Charles says that the bees made the honey and the cooks worked on this and you could, you know, not vomit as a thank you. It’s a horrible thing to say. It stands in contrast with the head chef who tells Diana about the waste from the food prep, specifically from the pheasant hunt. He doesn’t belabor the point but in mentioning there is food waste, we touch on something related to disordered eating. Once you eat food it’s garbage. Someone trying to stop purging should be absolved from feeling like they’re wasting food. It’s garbage at that point. Really dealing with food waste and food insecurity is important, but torturing yourself with guilt in addition to being bulimic doesn’t help.

All around incredible cast. Kristen Stewart deserves every good thing said about her. Timothy Spall is a monster. Sean Harris shows his range by playing nice. And Sally Hawkins is great. This movie made me think that if Sally Hawkins hugged you, your problems would go away for a half hour.

The babes of Ever After High.

Friend Request (previously Unfriend)

The Royals

The Veil

My Sweet Audrina (William’s name has yet to be added)

Hello everyone! We know that in less than two months’ time, The Royals is back on television, with 10 episodes to look forward to! We are aware that William is maximizing his Instagramso we encourage that you guys check out his account there, and we will repost his Twitter posts here. Of course, his handle is @WILLPMO.

And do not forget to check out the trailerhere!!!!

Hello everyone! Fresh from the post-The Royals season one, William was interviewed by Schon! Magazine about his upcoming films, The VeilandUnfriend, and some tidbits of his career. Read more here!

Outtakes are photographed by Robert John Kley.

More news to come!