At the cinema
THE FAVOURITE
Comedy drama. With Olivia Colman and Emma Stone. Director: Yorgos Lanthimos. 16DLNSV. In 1708 the frail Queen Anne (Colman) sits on the British throne while her intimate friend, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), effectively rules the country thanks to her influence over Anne. When Sarah’s impoverished cousin, Abigail (Stone), arrives at court, she sees a chance to regain her status by wriggling her way into Anne’s favour.
This unconventional period film from arthouse director Lanthimos (The Lobster) shows life at the royal court in all its debauched glory as well as the ugliness that ensues when courtiers are willing to do anything to stay in the monarch’s favour.
Historical dramas often depict the past as a golden age of refinement, but there’s no flattering lighting, make-up or attempts to make historical fashions more attractive to modern viewers here. Yet there’s also a surreal, absurdist feel to the film: everyone wears black and white, with some splashes of red; the courtly dances contain hip-hop moves, and Anne keeps 17 rabbits as pets to symbolise all the children she’s lost.
The dialogue is witty and it’s great fun watching Abigail and Sarah vie for Anne’s affections in increasingly underhanded ways. All three actresses deserve their Oscar nominations in a film that should be celebrated for its focus on complex female characters.
Though The Favourite starts off as a farce, there’s an undercurrent of melancholy that gradually comes to fore – until the humour fades away to culminate in a disquieting, cryptic final shot.
Nominated for 10 Oscars, this quirky film might be too odd for most viewers but those looking for something different should give it a try.