The Favourite

Starring: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Mark Gatiss, Joe Alwyn
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Rating: R
Genre: Comedy, Drama
2018

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) rules England despite a series of health issues. Her close friend (Rachel Weisz) effectively runs the country but faces opposition when she reluctantly brings her cousin (Emma Stone) into the queen's service.

Review:

Tim: Even though I didn't quite like Yorgos Lanthimos' last two films (The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer), both those films had glimpses of brilliance. They certainly had a completely unique and odd style all their own. With those two films, Lanthimos emerged as a talented director. However, both movies were so inaccessible to mainstream audiences. It's interesting that The Favourite is his most accessible film- he didn't write it and it doesn't feature so much of his bizarre sensibilities. However, it still retains much of his unique voice. The combination of reeling in some of his more outlandish directorial quirks while not losing his voice results in his best movie and in fact, a truly great film. Lanthimos showed flashes of genius in his previous movies and it all comes together here. I really, really enjoyed The Favourite.

This movie is based on a true story, but I imagine it takes massive liberties. It feels like it's inspired by a true story and Lanthimos spins it in his own direction, which results in a thoroughly enjoyable film. I found the movie to be so humorous, so outlandish. No one in the film takes anything too seriously. This is a dark dramatic comedy that prioritizes the comedic aspects first. The movie shines a light on the most elite inner circle of England in the 18th century and the excess that goes along with nobility. This is all played for laughs as a group of ridiculous people wield unbelievable wealth and power and they're all somewhat dysfunctional. The whole thing is told in an unrestrained, ludicrous manner that results in some seriously funny moments. The costumes, how out of touch most of these people are with the common people, the backstabbing and political games being played- it's all so vain and hilarious.

It helps that Lanthimos has an absolutely dream cast to work with. I loved that the three main characters were all women and each got such meaty, memorable roles. You have to start with Olivia Colman, who was fantastic as Queen Anne. There were multiple moments where I was mesmerized by her performance. She embraced the flawed, broken parts of this character. She conveys so much emotion with her eyes and facial expression and leaves an indelible impression on the audience. She has a few big, emotional scenes but is even more memorable in her quiet moments as you contemplate the tragic and tragicomic aspects of her life. It's funny that Colman shares so much screen time with her costars, but manages to do something truly remarkable with her role. It's noteworthy that of the 10 Academy Award nominations this film received, Colman had the film's only win (which was a tragedy in itself!) for Best Actress. She deserved the win.

As good as Colman is, the film also benefits from two stunning supporting performances. Rachel Weisz has always been one of my favorite actresses and she furthers that here. Her performance was so difficult- she's tough and manipulative for much of the film, but she needed to show vulnerability and make an emotional connection with the audience as well. It felt like we experienced a wide range of emotions for her character- we despise her early on, but feel legitimate sympathy for her during her plight later in the film. We dislike her, but respect her as well. I can't imagine how Weisz was able to draw out so many different emotions from her performance. She was nominated for Best Supporting Actress and deserved that recognition, because she's truly remarkable here. I loved her performance. So you have Colman and Weisz giving incredible performances, but that's not it. Emma Stone has emerged as one of the most exciting actresses in Hollywood. She was incredible in her Academy Award winning performance in La La Land and two years later, she delivers another stunning performance. Stone is so good in this film. She starts out as our proxy, our way of being introduced to this world. We feel a deep emotional connection with her character. Her story and her character changes in such unbelievable ways. If you compare how we feel about her character at the beginning verses the emotions we experience at the rabbit scene near the end, it's truly astonishing how different those are. Stone is able to play all these things so well as her character changes throughout the course of the film. She also received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress. Now, I could explain about the male cast members- Nicholas Hoult is especially good- but none of them compare to this insane trio of Colman, Weisz, and Stone. Those three make up one of the strongest female casts I've ever seen.

This movie really is remarkable. I laughed out loud throughout the film, and as funny as this movie was, it hits some really deep emotions. There's some very disturbing imagery in this movie. Lanthimos balances all of this, as well as shepherding his actresses through fascinating character arcs. At the end of the film, none of the three main characters are even remotely close to where they were when the movie started. The changes that take place are powerful and occasionally startling. This is a movie that has a message but delivers it amidst a truly entertaining story. I do want to mention the end of the film. It's appropriately ambiguous, given Lanthimos directed it. However, with a little thought (and some googling), I walked away with a sense of profound respect for the conclusion. It's powerful and hard to swallow the more you think about it.

The Favourite is a complex, unforgettable film. It was so cool to see Lanthimos do something a little different and finally hit the right notes. I do believe we'll see more great work out of this unorthodox director. This is a great movie and one I won't soon forget.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Constant Gardener, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, La La Land