The Favourite (2018)

Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz star in Yorgos Lanthimos’ extravagant depiction of the greed and betrayal that surrounded Queen Anne and her companions Abigail and Lady Sarah. Working with a script from ‘The Great’ writer Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis, Lanthimos takes a break from working with frequent collaborator Efthymis Filippou to bring audiences an entertaining affair driven by delicious black comedy.

Set in the early 18th century, ‘The Favourite’ follows three women, Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), the insecure and emotional leader of England, Lady Sarah Marlborough (Rachel Weisz), a commanding woman and Queen Anne’s closest friend, and Abigail (Emma Stone), an ambitious servant and Lady Sarah’s distant cousin. Abigail’s arrival promptly begins to disrupt the power balance between these three women. What follows is a raunchy, comedic, and greed-fuelled battle between Abigail and Lady Sarah as they bid to be the Queen’s favourite.

Intricate and sumptuous costumes created by ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ and ‘Cinderella’ costume designer Sandy Powell decorate the screen, immersing both the cast and the audience into the world of ‘The Favourite’. ‘Cruella’ and ‘Macbeth’ production designer Fiona Crombie creates sets that, combined with Sandy Powell’s costumes, create a visual feast for the eyes that you could pick apart forever. Despite not being set in the same time period as Yorgos Lanthimos’ prior films (e.g., ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’ or ‘The Lobster’), the acclaimed filmmaker still manages to bring a tense story to the screen. One of Lanthimos’ previous collaborators, ‘Under the Skin’ sound designer Johnnie Burn, brings a mix of original music and brooding classical pieces to ‘The Favourite’, emphasising the film’s dark aesthetic.

The film features powerful performances from it’s A-list cast, Weisz is manipulative and intimidating, Stone is sadistic and devious, willing to do whatever it takes to restore her status. Olivia Colman’s bubbly persona dissolves into Queen Anne’s frail demeanour, giving a remarkable performance that is an equal balance of comedy and emotion. Nicholas Hoult also stars in the film as Harley, a politician whose constant back and forth with Lady Sarah serves as one of the film’s many sources of comedy. The splendid cast are also joined by Joe Alwyn (Boy Erased, Mary Queen of Scots), James Smith (The Iron Lady, The Great) and Mark Gatiss (The Father, Locked Down).

‘C’mon C’mon’ and ‘Marriage Story’ cinematographer Robbie Ryan mixes smooth camera movements and fisheye lenses to bring the relatively tame story back up to a Yorgos Lanthimos level of wackiness, while also making excellent use of the natural lighting. Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s screenplay is a marvellous mixture of drama, emotion, and comedy, brought to life by masterful direction and performances, further embellished with top-notch cinematography, editing and production design.

Loosely based on true events, ‘The Favourite’ is yet another twisted tale from Yorgos Lanthimos, featuring an Oscar-winning performance from Olivia Colman and a BAFTA-winning turn from Rachel Weisz. The film is a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend two hours, with a story that audiences can really sink their teeth into. With hilarious comedy and tense drama, ‘The Favourite’ is perhaps one of Yorgos Lanthimos’ best films, not far behind 2017’s ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer’