In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to...
From one of my favourite directors, The Favourite is a sumptuous, idiosyncratic period drama with three terrific performances at the helm. With a tense, baroque score and exquisite set and costume design, The Favourite acts like a Shakespearean comedy in its sharp, witty, bawdy humour with an undercurrent of tragedy.
Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is a childish, frail queen who is effectively controlled by her advisor and friend Lady Marlborough (Racheal Weisz). When Abigail (Emma Stone) is left penniless, thus losing her ladyship, she comes to Marlborough for help. This quickly sets up a competition of favour for the Queen and her immense power, where sexual politics, gender politics, manipulation, and violence are used by all the key players for a stab at the throne.
Lanthimos' film discards historical accuracy for a C.S. Lewis-Esque 18th century England, where fish eye lenses and constant, abrasive cursing creating a humorous juxtaposition between nobility and human desire. For this is where the film's arena. In a luxurious palace, where pride and fashion are of the utmost importance, how does one fight? Evidently, through deceit and snide commentary. This leads to hilarious bouts of wit, where the power shifts from Abigal to Marlborough instantaneously. Shadowed by a supporting male cast (Nicholas Hoult, Mark Gatiss) our three protagonists are left to duel, with hilarious consequences. "You must get rid of her" whispers Marlborough. "Nonsense," replies Queen Anne. "I like it when she sticks her tongue inside of me." And the classical score kicks in...
However, it would be amiss to forget the tragedy in the film. Queen Anne is a pitiful figure. She is undoubtedly funny but this is regularly undermined by Colman's tragic portrayal. Pockmarked skin and drooping eyes, Anne's deteriorating health become a psychical embodiment of her decay as a person. After 17 miscarriages, Anne reverts back to childhood as a safety net from her sadness. When we see this melancholy, we see its full force. One particularly tragic moment sees Anne wondering her immense palace screaming "Where am I?" in tears.
In the film's denouement, Anne becomes a lot more adult. Perhaps by banishing Marlborough she finally becomes at peace with her tragedy. In fact, in the film's final moments, with brilliant use of triple exposure, Lanthimos finally rests on one true winner, one which I think the audience can easily settle as the definitive favourite.
