The Favourite - Intrigen und Irrsinn

Let me preface my review with me saying that I have never had a film experience where I have been genuinely uncomfortable in. I have watched The Human Centipede Series, Saw, and plenty of other gory cinema that has hardly made me cringe. But for some odd reason, The Favourite made me cringe and feel sick half of the time.

Now STOP. Before you flag my review or declare me unhelpful. Let me say this: I think the film had a unique score, excellent acting all around, an intriguing story, and played off the tropes of stereotypical British historical dramas, but the film was not for me.

Because honestly, the absurdity of this film was way too much for me, and I hardly ever say that. I will acknowledge the film was great technically and narratively, but I couldn't stand it.

The Favourite is supposed to be a historical drama with tons of comedy and a light bit of thriller thrown into it, but when it came to the comedy, I couldn't get with it. While the Laemmle Playhouse audience laughed at every single line of dialogue that would come out of someone's mouth, I could not take it. I think throughout the whole film, I laughed maybe 15%, and about 80% of that laughter was cringe laughter. A lot of the film was pure bonkers, and I couldn't really get into it.

The concept of playing against the trope that British historical figures are normally conservative and well spoken, and having them instead be balls-to-the-wall mentally insane and outlandish in this film, is an interesting idea, but it did not work for me. There is literally a scene where a character gives a monologue to the camera about their evil plan, while stroking her newlywed's member. And I was thinking, what in the actual hell?? It was funny, but it was more weird than anything.

The film as a whole is just weird. I don't think it really cares as much about the narrative or the characters, but with how weird the setting can be. Whether it is really out of place dancing in the ball room (the only scene I burst out laughing at), the queen declaring how much they want to get oral pleasure, girls bathing in mud, really loud and obnoxious screaming, an annoying fish-eye lens, continuous rubbing of old women's feet, and even more screaming, I just couldn't find a point to any of it.

It is almost like the director is like "hey bro, look at how outlandish I made these uptight British royalty look. HAHA! Funny, funny!" I did not even really care.

I will give the film a rewatch when it comes out on digital, and have subtitles included, because sometimes that improves my film experience. But from what I can tell, The Favourite is definitely not really my cup of tea.

I will say this though: I will probably enjoy The Lobster and Dogtooth more than I will with this. Perhaps because they are not in a British royalty setting, which I have a hard time getting to in the first place.

Anyways, try not to hate me please. Remember, I acknowledge the achievements of the film, but it does not work for me. Think of that before you lynch me.

English Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is fighting a war in France. Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) is her favorite courtesan and is the power behind the throne. Her cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives looking for a job after her family had fallen in status. Sarah looks down upon her and sends her to be a maid. She is being whipped when Sarah suddenly needs her to alleviates the Queen's gout pains. Leader of the opposition, Mr. Harley (Nicholas Hoult), is pushing for an immediate peace treaty while Sarah uses her power over the Queen to raise taxes to continue the war led by her husband at the front.

This is a wonderful competition of female relationships. It is deliciously passive-aggressive. All three performances are amazing. The visual style is impeccable. It is a movie of singular vision and great actors.

If The Favourite had music by Michael Nyman. I would had said that it was directed by Peter Greenaway. I do think Greenaway was a big influence with the style of the film, as well as the Oscar winning Tom Jones that lent it some naughtiness.

Director Yorgos Lanthimos adds a rich period setting and visual flourishes. He keeps his camera moving and has lot of fisheye views.

Underneath it all is a power play between three women in 18th Century England. Two of them vie to be Queen Anne's favourite even if this means massaging more than her legs.

Abigail (Emma Stone) has fallen on hard times. She arrives at Court hoping for employment from her cousin, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz.) She is the Queen's trusted adviser, lady in waiting, confidante and even lover.

Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is ill. She has gout, she is mentally unstable. She lost 17 children and she has 17 rabbits that she plays with. Governing the country is something she finds difficult especially as Britain is at war with France.

Abigail wants to ingratiate herself with Queen Anne and climb the greasy pole to secure her position. Over time Abigail and Lady Sarah fight, dirtily to be the Queen's favourite.

The Favourite is a crude, grimy, seedy, bawdy drama in tone and language. Lanthimos is certainly not interested in showing a wholesome chocolate box portrait of 18th century life.

This is a sumptuous looking costume drama about fragile cruel people and egos. People who are desperate to get to the top and remain there.

The film unravels in the second half and gets bogged down. At the end Abigail may not be quiet in control as she thinks, I did think the ending was weak and disappointing.

In early 18th century, the friendship between Anne, first Queen of Great Britain and Lady Sarah Churchill, the wife of the Duke of Marlborough, was very close and then deteriorated because of their differing political views and the growing influence of another favorite, Abigail Masham. The film focuses on the rivalry between these 2 women, Abigail and Sarah: lousy tricks, alliances, treacheries, ground shiftings, sex, ... Everything is allowed to obtain the favors of the queen!

The actors, the photography, the costumes, the 18th century atmosphere despite voluntary anachronisms, the rhythm, the dialogues, the soundtrack, ... This is an excellent achievement. Smart, dark, irreverent, cruel and immoral.

The awards and critical reception for this film made it a rather mainstream success, despite it coming from the maker of such odd films as The Lobster. The period setting, the class of performers, and the awards though make it seem accessible and 'normal' only for it to quickly set out its stall as not being that. Essentially it is the fictional story of Queen Anne and her dear 'friend' Lady Sarah, between whom a new maid comes, setting off a frosty power struggle for the ear of the ailing Queen. On its face it seems like a straightforward period drama, but the delivery makes it more than this.

Much has been written by cleverer people on the selection of lens for shooting, the use of natural light, the fruity nature of the script for the period, all of it true and all of it making the film feel off-kilter from what would be expected. It does this in a way that feels odd but yet is still easy to go with and accessible - as opposed to being deliberately hard to penetrate. Certainly the look of the film keeps throwing me, and I wasn't a fan of the wide lens when it was used, but it did have the effect of making the scenes draw me in by virtue of how odd it was to find that look in a period film. In terms of narrative, it is lively with its fruity language and incident, as well as the twists and turns of the plot itself. This is all well delivered by the lead three actresses, who embrace the teeth of it as much as they do the absurdity of some of it.

All told it is a surprising film in the way that it feels odd and off-kilter in many ways, but yet produces a sharp drama with wit and teeth throughout.