IT'S A CURRENT FAVORITE FOR ME...!

Rating: 9/10 (24 September 2019)

Yorgos Lanthimos' Oscar bait from last year which yielded Oscar gold for Olivia Coleman (for Best Actress) is a period piece which dusts off the stodginess off of most period pieces. Not being especially well liked by me (especially 2 of his earlier efforts The Lobster & The Killing of a Sacred Deer), Lanthimos finally finds a project which perfectly suits his esthetic. Queen Anne is out of sorts in her kingdom both externally (they're at war w/France) & at home (she's childless) & the only thing holding everything together is her loyal (& conniving) lady in waiting played by Rachel Weisz but things get more interesting when a distant cousin (played by Oscar nominee Emma Stone) comes into the picture & turns the household upside down. Mixing influences as disparate as Kubrick's Barry Lyndon (its use of fish eye lenses & natural lighting) & Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (modern sensibilities brought to a chamber drama) w/a razor sharp wit that could cut diamonds, this film opens the possibility for future takes which can winnow out the cobwebs of a genre most viewers may find quaint or picturesque. Also starring Nicholas Hoult (the current Beast in the X-Men series) & more bunnies you can shake an Easter Sunday at.