In a Nutshell
Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and
Review
Yorgos Lanthimos is an alien. He walks among us looking like a human but he’s really a being from some far off planet (a bit like Mork from Ork minus the wholesome lols in favour of something much more insalubrious) sent here to observe and report on us mere mortals.
To quote Charles Bukowski, we are not good to each other but even he had glimmers of hope for the human race. The same cannot be said of Mr Lanthimos because it seems as if his report back is scathing: we are selfish, venal and filled with impulses that are destructive to ourselves and to others, often at the same time
And perhaps the most shocking take (and it is a “take” because Lanthimos’s films have many takes to them, which is part of his genius) is that even if you have good impulses, they will not serve you in the long run. They are to be snuffed out, extinguished because they are but weaknesses and this is some Darwinist shit baby and only the sharpest, most ruthless and fittest survive.
An Oscar-Worthy Performance From Colman?
Set during the reign of Queen Anne (a wonderful Olivia Colman and likely Oscar contender for Best Actress) during the early 18th century, the film essentially plays out the rivalry between two cousins as they court the favour of Queen Anne to become her, well, favourite (sorry). And with that favour comes power, security and all the trappings of wealth and privilege.
Initially starting out as a maid due to unfortunate and pretty awful circumstances, Emma Stone’s Abigail Hill ingratiates herself to Rachel Weiss’s Sarah Churchill and soon finds herself as Sarah’s lady-in-waiting. This small act of kindness on Sarah’s part by promoting her – if you can call it an act of kindness and given Lanthimos’s worldview, I wouldn’t – proves eventually to haunt Sarah as the two cousins then embark on a poisonous course where Stone’s Abigail starts to kindle not just a friendship with Queen Anne but also a sexual relationship that aims to freeze Sarah out.
The comedy in The Favourite is dark, devilish and delicious and there are moments that fans of Lanthimos’s previous films will enjoy (there’s even a very obvious easter egg for The Lobster snuck in there), particularly those who found The Killing of a Scared Deer more of a comedy than a horror film. And despite the fact that this his most mainstream film (the weirdness of The Lobster is gone but the grim, bleak humour is not), the thematic preoccupations of Lanthimos are still there and ring even louder in The Favourite: We’re really no different from animals, we’re just conscious of it is all and that doesn’t make us better. If anything, it makes us worse.
A Far Cry from Stone’s Performance as Olive Penderghast
Emma Stone’s character is the most fascinating (and full credit to her for taking such a role because it’s a far cry from Easy A and Crazy Stupid Love, which are both great by the way!) as it’s one of the most complex and nuanced performances I’ve seen in a long time from any actor, male or female. I don’t usually read any other articles before reviewing a film but I couldn’t help but read one take on the film’s ending.
The ending will likely frustrate some but this article argued that Emma Stone’s character was cruel and manipulative all along but it’s not a take I can get on board with mainly because this reading is too reductive a reading of Stone’s portrayal.
There’s genuine grief at the lengths she has to go to one-up her rival and by the time you get to the end of the movie, she’s miserable at what’s she become and her act of cruelty toward a rabbit (again something people will talk about) isn’t some mask being suddenly dropped, it’s the last embers of her humanity dying out. Again, much like Colman, she deserves all the awards. And take nothing away from Weiss, she is as immaculate as always. The three of them are a real tour de force.
Is Lanthimos’ Kubrickian Chilliness Beginning to Thaw?
When last year’s The Killing of A Sacred Deer came out, the “Kubrickian chilliness” of the film likely served to put some people off but whilst The Favourite still has some of that chilliness (the strange shot selection and slow tracking shots are still present but they have a little more verve this time), it is by far Lanthimos’s most accessible film without making him lose what makes him special (Steve McQueen pulled off a similar feat with Widows this year) and his mark is a very particular one.
Much like his previous films, they will stick with you long after the credits roll and you won’t necessarily feel good about that. After watching all his films, I think I get it now. They are a check against humanity, a warning. We’re not as good and civilized as we sometimes like to think. And that’s worth something in today’s climate. Hell, that’s worth something at any time when it comes to us humans.
Verdict
The Favorite is a dark, inviting treat of a film that looks gorgeous but has a morbid centre that will leave you with a bitter
after taste . A wonderful film, amplified by a terrific-performances by Colman, Weiss and Stone and a real work of art by Lanthimos that should have a lot of mainstreamappeal .
