The Favourite (2018)

“The Favourite” stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult, and Joe Alwyn.  Released on November 23, 2018, the film has two cousins competing to be court favourites.

The film is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also directed films such as “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”.  This one took me a while to get to because obviously, the cinema that’s closest to me usually gets these types of films a few weeks after they're released.  The film I’ll be looking at today is quite odd based on what I experienced from its marketing.  It had everything that it needed to resemble a political period drama, but it looked like it added in some weird and comedic moments to make itself stand out.  Well, I always learned that we need those types of moments in order to make our lives more interesting.  The film has so far received praise for its concept and earned numerous award nominations, including five Golden Globe nominations, and knowing me, I always try my hardest to see certain films that are nominated for some major awards.  So, I took the chance to experience it for myself, and truth be told, it’s what I expected from the trailers, but it’s also something that may or may not win over people outside of its target audience.

One of the things that made it worth a watch was the three main leads, who did their part in carrying the story forward as well as displaying their complexities onscreen.  Olivia Colman, for instance, was really talented in her role as Queen Anne.  I would tell you more about her, but it’s the type of performance that you have to witness for yourself.  Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz both delivered some very suitable performances as Abigail Hill and Sarah Churchill, respectively, with the former showcasing the fact that she’s one of the most hard-working actresses of the decade, in my opinion.  The film’s screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara not only offered some clever dialogue from the cast, but it also offered a unique perspective of the events that happened during Queen Anne’s rule in the 18th Century.  The film also explored certain elements like jealousy and royalty and how they affect the relationship between Abigail and Sarah, and the way it handles them was just as interesting as a historic painting.  The story does drag from time to time due to its running time and a couple of over-drawn shots, but its weirdness somehow managed to prevent it from being a total borefest.  Even the musical score had its sense of oddity.  This was my first time seeing a film by Yorgos Lanthimos, and I have to say, he knows how to make a movie experience feel different and peculiar.  The comedy could’ve used a bit more laughs, though, but other than that, Lanthimos was able to make me rethink how I watch period dramas.  The cinematography was also top-notch in terms of the angles and the fluid panning, although the fisheye-like shots looked out of place compared to the rest of the shots, but that’s just me.  The set designs and the costumes were simply gorgeous, and they greatly resemble how I imagined Britain from the 1700s.

Overall, “The Favourite” is not only a well-crafted comedy-drama, but it’s also one of the weirdest experiences I’ve ever witnessed in terms of how the story is represented.  While it won’t lure in people who aren’t interested in historic period dramas due to its sluggish pacing, the film might be able to please those who are into the genre.  Thanks to its talented cast, Lanthimos’ direction, costume designs, and its production values, this is another film that offers a unique movie experience for film lovers and adults who just love going to the movies.

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