Engaging, well paced and well acted

Rating: 7/10 (24 February 2019)

When I looked at the list of the Best Picture nominees at the Academy Awards this year I immediately spotted 'The Favourite' as the one I was least looking forward to seeing. I'm not a big fan of period pieces and neither the cast nor film-maker garnered much interest from me. As it turns out I was wrong to single this one out. It is a middling film on the list. Certainly not the best, however certainly not the worst either. I was surprised at how engaged I found myself with the story. The pacing too, while not lightning quick, did just enough to always keep me focused and looking forward to what was coming next.
Three actresses from this film have been nominated for acting awards. Olivia Colman for Actress in Leading Role and Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone for Actresses in a Supporting Role (despite them both probably having equal or even more screen time than Colman?). Colman was pretty darn good I'd have to admit. She plays utterly miserable very well I'd have to say (that may be all I've ever seen her play come to think of it). It's hard to see her getting the nod though as she was never given one big scene to blow everyone away. Supporting Actress is usually a very weak category so with performances as strong as Stone's and Weisz' I would usually have said they had a great chance of winning. Unfortunately for them the category is slightly stronger than usual this year though and so I can't see them getting the nod either.
As for Best Picture, again I see it coming up short. While the film is good for what it is, it isn't going to be to everyone's liking. All a film can do is succeed at what it sets out to, however that isn't always enough to win an Oscar unfortunately. I loved that the film had an R rating. It added so many layers to the characters and made for a much more fun viewing experience. All in all 'The Favourite' is a well made film that you may just find yourself having a great time with.