Astounding

Rating: 10/10 (14 January 2019)

I am not a very good reviewer, however this movie shook me to my core and I feel the need to share the experience I had with this movie. Possible spoilers ahead.

The acting was phenomenal, particularly from Coleman, the chronically ill Queen Anne/the main star of the show. Her toss between extremely tranquil to the hysterical is seamless and awe-inspiring. Her comedic timing and subtle facial expressions is something worthy of an Oscar alone. Stone and Weisz are on par with Coleman, with their subtly feisty scandals and mischief that they put themselves into in order to be in favour of the queen is something that kept me on the edge of my seat.

The filming and directing style of the movie is another aspect that I thoroughly appreciated. Particularly the fish-eye lens that is used in that majority of the long shots, in which the camera moves from one side to the other. The decision to use that style is incredibly unique and not something I quite understand but appreciate.

A scene that I just want to pick out (spoilers ahead), is the scene where Sarah walks in and finds Abigail topless in bed next to Queen Anne. When Sarah walks out and into the corridor holding nothing but a lit candle, which is the only light source provided for the shot. Sarah is the only being shown in the shot, whereas her entire surrounding is completely black, perfectly symbolising her current state of loss and confusion. Absolutely stunning!

The slow burning progress of this film was so well done, I found myself progressively edging towards the edge of my seat. So many twists and turns, so many shifting of the balance that takes place in the film, the time flies by without you realising it. By the end of the film I realised that I had held my breath for quite some time.

Again, I am not a very good reviewer, so I am not going to write anymore and pretend I am an expert in film, but this film is so unique in its style and form, and so raw in its acting and the realness yet absurdity of the time it takes place in, I just wanted to share my thoughts and views.