Cast: Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult
Year: 2019 (U.K.)
Genre: Dark comedy / drama
The Favourite depicts the brutal feud that develops between Abigail (Stone) and Sarah (Weisz) in a desperate attempt to gain the Queen's (Coleman) affection and become her 'favourite'.
Set in 18th Century Britain, against the backdrop of a war between the British and the French, The Favourite explores the lives of the wealthy aristocrats of the time who appear more excited by the apparent thrills of duck racing and private gossip about their peers than the actual threat of the French. At the head of these, Queen Anne resides over England with Lady Sarah at her side, who acts as her counsellor, friend and representative within meetings. Unbeknownst to Anne and Sarah, a once-royal, Abigail, is hired to work in the kitchens and as a maid in the Queen's palace. When Abigail's surreptitious attempt at treating the Queen's injured leg yields positive results, her treatment is acknowledged by Sarah and Anne, allowing her to rapidly climb the ranks within this hierarchical system. However, when the Queen starts to take an equal liking to Abigail, a feud emerges between the two ladies as they fight for Anne's affection and favour.
Across the board, the performances from all the actors are astonishing and highly commendable, in particular that of Olivia Coleman, who truly embraces the impatient, sometimes almost schizophrenic behaviour of the Queen. Her mood swings so frequently that there is a certain tension developed in the film as to what mood the characters will find her in from scene to scene. Similarly, Stone and Weisz produce equally excellent performances and the subsequent vicious battle between the two of them is elevated to such a state of authenticity through their evocative, emotional performances within the film. The characters have intricate personalities and surprising depth, and in an interesting twist, there are no inherent protagonists or antagonists. In essence, whatever fate they endure, they might arguably deserve and there is no definitive character to root for throughout - they are all essentially bad people with their own selfish intentions, even if do attempt to craft a solid facade to disguise their ulterior motives. Yet there is a kind of brutal and twisted entertainment derived from seeing them being successful in their various ploys against each other.
The direction also is absolutely impeccable. Lanthimos does not waste any shot within the film with his immaculate use of lighting (especially the chiaroscuro effect of the candlelit shots), the beautiful, jaw dropping cinematography and his elegant use of camerawork. The camera seems to delicately flow across the rooms, constantly shifting framing, and Lanthimos does also implement the occasional, yet meticulous whip pans within his scenes, adding a smooth and constant sense of motion throughout the film.
The dark humour embedded in the script adds another element of quirkiness and personality to what could have been an otherwise dull movie. The comedy is sharp and witty, with the occasional overt but nonetheless hilarious jokes which allow for a sense of relief amidst the tense relationship between Anne, Abigail and Sarah. The tone throughout the movie shifts quite frequently from comedy to melodrama or even to something resembling a thriller. Regardless, there never feels a moment in which tension or emotion is forced or overly contrived.
Ultimately The Favourite is masterfully crafted by Lanthimos, exhibiting astonishing performances across the board as well as displaying Lanthimos' intricate and near perfect direction.
Verdict: 9/10
The dark humour embedded in the script adds another element of quirkiness and personality to what could have been an otherwise dull movie. The comedy is sharp and witty, with the occasional overt but nonetheless hilarious jokes which allow for a sense of relief amidst the tense relationship between Anne, Abigail and Sarah. The tone throughout the movie shifts quite frequently from comedy to melodrama or even to something resembling a thriller. Regardless, there never feels a moment in which tension or emotion is forced or overly contrived.
Ultimately The Favourite is masterfully crafted by Lanthimos, exhibiting astonishing performances across the board as well as displaying Lanthimos' intricate and near perfect direction.
Verdict: 9/10
