The Favourite

AHHHH Olivia Colman! If you don’t know about her you better get acquainted fast. If you want to watch her in something truly amazing check out Broadchurch on Netflix. It’s a British television show and there are three seasons and it is one of my favorite shows ever. Plus in case you didn’t know, Colman is going to be Queen Elizabeth in season two of Netflix’s The Crown! So get on board the Colman train because she is about to get rolling. This movie showcases how insane of an actor she is. She plays Queen Anne of England who was plagued with health issues throughout her life. She was also cursed in childbirth, being pregnant 18 different times with not a single baby surviving past infancy. The story is loosely based on historical facts. I emphasize the term loosely. Rachel Weisz plays the Queen’s right hand woman Sarah who often times wields her closeness with the Queen as a political power play. Emma Stone plays Abigail, an ambitious young woman who is seeking employment with the royal family. Abigail and Sarah battle it out to be the Queen’s favorite (hence the title of the film). Director Yorgos Lanthimos’ brand of comedy will not be for everyone. If you’ve seen his previous film The Lobster that’ll give you a taste of the type of dark comedy he utilizes. There’s also a ton of super super wide angle shots. So wide the frame seems bent and I haven’t seen that in forever so props to Director of Photography Robbie Ryan and Lanthimos for experimenting with cinematography. It definitely added to the excess that the film tried so desperately to showcase. The acting performances were superb, the costumes were fanciful, and the camera work was magnificent. I didn’t find a lot to not love about this film.

Film or Movie: Film

You’ll like this film if:
1. You like dark comedies
2. You want to get on board the Colman train
3. You like period pieces