Misses on all cylinders

Rating: 1/10 (7 February 2019)

I went to see this film assuming it was a period piece concerning Queen Anne. I had no preconceptions. I did not know it was advertised as a comedy. I agree with all of the negative reviews. I actually thought they were almost too kind. The movie had no focus, no plot, no depth, and aside from the performances, no redeeming qualities.
Very early in the film, when Abigail cuts her finger on what appears to be a sliver of glass while scrubbing the floor and then carries on as it she was mortally wounded, I knew something was amiss. Putting together a comic-drama is a difficult task. The writers, producers, and the director of this movie all failed miserably at the attempt.
"Fargo" is a perfect example of this genre done well. The Favourite was not a comedy, not a drama, and not a comic-drama. It was just a mess.
Olivia Colman gives an Oscar worthy performance as the queen. Rachel Weisz (Lady Sarah) and Emma Stone (Abigail) are excellent in their roles but I do no think they deserved a nod. There was simply no depth to their characters. Where they came from or how they got to be who and where they are, on an emotional level, is completely ignored. The queen has ducks running all over her bedroom that supposedly represent the number of her children, yet she never mentions one of her offspring. I have not seen any of his other films, but it this is an example of Yorgis Lanthimos' work, count me out.
The cinematography was amateurish. Robbie Ryan makes one bad choice after another, difficult to do given the canvas he had to work with. He seems to view light as an enemy. For some reason, he shifts his style to the point of ridiculousness. Wide angle lens used here, panoramic lens used there, and fisheye shots sprinkled throughout that add nothing to the film.
The costumes lacked any spark or ingenuity. Aside from the principals, there were only two costumes: one for women and one for men. There was an opera recital scene in which the attendees, all women, were indistinguishable. Was it a group of nuns?
The sets didn't fare much better. OK, I'll forgive the mish-mosh of period pieces all over the place. I can't forgive the obsession with tapestries on every wall, ceilings that were 300 years ahead of their time, or the fireplaces that were half the size of the real thing during that period.
Many have said this was "the worst movie I have ever seen." I'm not sure I would go that far, but it is definitely in the running. On the other hand I am sure that the music (if you could call it that) WAS the worst I've ever heard. It was so painful to listen to I almost left the theater. I can't blame the composer as there was none. The score is comprised of numerous compositions just thrown together presumably by the director and/or the three additional producers.
There were other things that did nothing but annoy me: The aristocrats throwing tomatoes at a naked guy for entertainment, the man having intercourse with a prostitute at a brothel - nothing exactly wrong with that - but standing up with his clothes on?, Sarah getting dragged through the forest by her horse for what seemed like an eternity, and the sex scenes that all involved masturbation, none of it reciprocal, and natch, like the "John" in the brothel, everyone is clothed at the same time. There is a lot of throwing up for no evident reason. The actresses just grab a pot and heave at whim.
The end of the movie made no sense at all and for the vast amount of viewers at my movie house it was a WTF moment. At the same time it may have been the best part of the movie as it indicated this tragic waste of time was over with.
Still there are many critics I respect who have opposite views. For the life of me I don't understand what they see in this. That said, if you still want to see it,wait for HBO. It won't cost you anything and you can always turn it off anytime you wish.