A twisted tale of royal monarchy gone bad

Rating: 9/10 (13 December 2018)

Yorgos Lanthimos continues to be one of the most unique and dynamic filmmakers working today. In his latest film, Lanthimos engages the audience in 18th century royal British politics that is centered around three women. We have Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), the emotionally unstable and sensitive ruler of England who would rather spoil herself with treats and play with her pet rabbits then engage in any sort of politics. And by her side and constantly controlling her every decision is Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz). Cold, cynical and mean-spirited, Sarah makes sure the country runs the way she prefers by speaking on the behalf of the queen herself. And then comes in the final girl, Sarah's cousin Abigail who finds the Achille's heel in Anne and Sarah's relationship to exploit. As Sarah and Abigail go to war with each other for Anne's affection, it begins to have huge affect on the literal war that is going on with France.
The dynamic chemistry between all three of the actresses and the engaging script by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara is what keeps you hooked in this heightened period piece. From the beginning, Weisz, Stone and Colman portray their characters in one way that you would seem straightforward but by the end your view on them turns a complete 180. Weizs's confidence and dry wit makes her character Sarah feels like a force of nature you want to avoid crossing. By contrast Stone's charm and humour shows her character Abigail as appearing sweet and you wanting to root for. However, once the table turn in the game of manipulation and favouritism, Weisz display vulnerability in Sarah and Stone expands her dramatic chops to the reveal the dark trickster that hides behind Abigail's sweet smile. However the most fully ranged performance is that of Colman. While Queen Anne seems written to be as comic relief at first, Colman gets to put on show of emotional depth that by contrast makes her feel more human then the rest of the royal over-the-top characters we meet. Colman's comedic time definitely does earn most of the laughs in a very dark and twisted story. However it's through her emotional performance that gives the Favourite a sense of humanity that would otherwise be lacking.
Robbie Ryan's cinematography makes the Favourite visually stand apart from previous period piece dramas. The wide dynamic perspective shots make the character's interactions with each other feel like a you're removed from their presence because of their wealth and class status. The feeling of alienation from the shots is what helps it to sell its cold atmosphere. With close-ups of character's face the film then lets you get inside their heads to know where their minds and emotions are at in the moment. This then allows the story and its characters to be seen as being flawed but also honest and real.
Like Lathimos's previous films The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite is a film that will leave feeling very cold and disturbed but is definitely joy to watch three amazingly talented actresses to perform with and against each other.