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| Author | Zoe Aresti |
The Favourite, which premiered at Venice Film Festival earlier in the year, is set in 18th Century war-stricken England. The story follows the relationship between Queen Anne and her longtime confidant Lady Sarah, during the arrival of Lady Sarah’s cousin Abigail, which sparks rivalry for the Queen affections.
Olivia Coleman, plays a jovial, effervescent, fun loving and charismatic Queen Anne, while also portraying the insecure and anxious side of her character with ease. Her performance can only be described as masterful! Rachel Weisz skillfully plays a manipulative and cunning Lady Sarah; she has some of the funniest lines in the film, delivering them with stone cold wit and blink-and-you’ll-miss-it pace! Having both previously worked with Lanthimos in The Lobster, it is clear that they have fruitful working relationships. Finally, Emma Stone, plays Abigail , a role expected to seem out of place within this eccentric project. However, Stone nails a British accent, which we all know can be famously difficult, and is completely delightful in this different and exciting role for her.
A film lead by a cast of three powerhouse women is something that should always be applauded, but even more so when the screenplay and characters are so complex and sharp. Huge praise is deserved to the writers of the screenplay Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, who create female characters that are controlling, deceitful, provocative, unapologetic, greedy and competitive - often characteristics reserved for the men; this is a welcome change!
The supporting cast is also an incredible who’s who of British actors including Mark Gatiss playing Weizse’ husband, Joe Alwym playing the infatuated love interest of Emma Stone and Nicholas Holt, who plays Harley, the bumbling leader of the Wigs party in an entertaining and stand out performance from him.
Costume designer, Sandy Powell, brings a contemporary twist to the period’s fashion with luxurious and ornate designs that look as if they have been plucked from the steps of this year’s Met Ball. No stranger to historical dramas, having won three Oscars for her work across The Young Victoria, Shakespeare in Love and The Aviator, she is sure to be on track for her fourth as the eccentric twists on classic costumes only help to elevate further these already hilariously ridiculous characters!
Director Yorgos Lanthimos has a reputation for making thought provoking, if unusual films, with this previous works including Dogtooth, Killing of a Sacred Deer and The Lobster often dividing critics for being too niche and having un-relatable characters. The Favourite is by far his most accessible film to date, encompassing relatable characters and framing this intoxicatingly charming, fast paced dark comedy: it’s clear that he had a strong vision.
Nevertheless, what stole the show for me was the authentic chemistry, pitch perfect delivery and mischievous performances from the film’s three leading ladies Stone, Weisz and Coleman! The Favourite guarantees laugh out loud viewing and is a must see when it is released in cinemas 1 January 2019.