Excellent!

Rating: 9/10 (1 January 2019)

Decided I had to see this after catching the trailer a couple of times on TV and then watching Olivia Colman on Graham Norton's chat show so I went to the first showing at 10:30 am on New Year's Day.
First off bravo to Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone who are all brilliant in this: exceptional performances of three very different women (and a fantastic English accent from Emma Stone). Their characters and intertwined relationships evolve throughout the film and the change in the balance of power is initially subtle but very clear, whilst the 'pretty' men remain powerless. Mesmerised from the beginning, I found myself holding my breath and at other times laughing out loud. (Queen Anne's meek response to Lady Sarah handing her a mirror and asking her what she thinks she looks like: "badger" is hilarious but for some reason I was the only member of our audience of 9 who laughed at all at any part of the film - what was wrong with the others?)
I quite liked the unusual camera angles, the close ups of the characters and their steely eyes, and the use of the fisheye lens - which seemed to add to the dark comedic appeal and made me look and wonder about what the women were really thinking but the weird period/street dancing just made me feel a little uncomfortable and I'm still not sure why it had to be like that.
SPOILER ALERT: The ending however, disappointed me slightly, almost as though I had been cheated out of a definitive ending - that said sometimes an ending that leaves its mark on you and has you thinking about it hours after you've left the cinema is the best kind - perhaps that's what Yorgos Lanthimos wanted. I think I understood it though: Queen Anne's sad realisation that she had chosen the wrong woman and Abigail's Pyrrhic victory - both trapped in a situation that neither satisfied nor made either happy, whilst Sarah although enjoying and overstepping the power she wielded and despite her blackmail attempt, did truly love the Queen.
Finally to the titles, which I stayed to watch because they were unusual and very hard to read, which unfortunately made me all the more convinced there was to be something extra afterwards but no - unless you count the wildlife sound effects.
A well deserved 9/10 and surely an Oscar nomination at least.