I can’t say that I fully “got” this film nor Stewart’s breathy horse whispers, but it was agreeable to a point. I did not get the bizarre jazz soundtrack over much of the film beyond the obvious juxtaposition of stuffy upper crust British royal society and the free form proletariat funky freedom of jazz, but perhaps the obvious was the intention. Really, that is what I feel I get from all Larrain’s work I have seen (this, Jackie and No, both of which I liked better) - plain and unmistakable direction, symbolism, and design. What you see is what you get, everytime, for better or worse. I often just wish there was more; like something subtly swimming under the ice of the bold & bald I see before me.
Perhaps I was just bored of this, coming off of Jackie, another possible fantasy about an adored political royal princess, tortured and effete, from our near past that I don’t share any extreme adoration or pop cultural cache with. I didn’t really connect with much of it and found the whole thing…fine.
