The Favourite
Although this period piece practically screams “I’m classy Oscar bait,” beneath its opulent surface is one wickedly entertaining romp. In an austere British palace in the early
18th century, a down-on-her-luck lady (Emma Stone) starts working for the batty and bossy Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Scrubbing the floors will not do, so she goes above and beyond to care for the queen and win her over, but she must step over a duchess (Rachel Weisz) — the queen’s most trusted ally and secret lover — to do it. Director Yorgos Lanthimos crafts his film with a sublime, subversive edge. Guaranteed, this is the first prestige drama you’ll see in which a female servant worms her way into a queen’s heart via her 17 pet bunnies. The triumphant trio is catty and manipulative merely because they can be. They never apologize for their
sexuality, as well they shouldn’t.