Excellent Period Black Comedy

Rating: 10/10 (13 January 2019)

Having just been to watch The Favourite today, I think it would be of value to remind myself of an all too important definition... Black comedy, also referred to as Dark comedy, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to discuss. Often used as a tool for exploring vulgar issues, thus provoking discomfort and serious thought as well as amusement in their audience.
The Favourite indeed fulfils this definition consistently and delivers accurately and handsomely what was promised by the script. A period costume drama movie like no other. For some reason, Kubrick's Barry Lyndon came to mind whilst watching The Favourite. Mad, unsettling and with quite a liberated approach for the depicted period of Queen Anne's reign in England, Scotland, Ireland and then united as Great Britain. Not the mainstream average period drama by any means and that is exactly its subtle beauty that will without doubt be mistaken by some who will hurry to condemn the movie and award single star ratings. Coleman, Weisz and Stone deliver a top form performance as the female gender takes the central roles.
The wide angle/fish-eye cinematography and the lowered camera angle add to the overall opulence, making the three protagonists stand out grandiose. I loved the movie and hope Yorgos Lanthimos brings more of these unconventional movies to our screens. Finally, I watched the movie in a UK cinema with the majority, if not all, of the audience being in the senior age group. No reaction, no laughter! Oscar Wilde came to mind with one of his famous quotes: Nothing is so aggravating than calmness.