In the Favourite, Yorgos Lanthimos crafts a tragic (and
often riveting) portrayal of Queen Anne’s court, mixing the classic tropes of a
standard period drama with a fresh perspective and stellar casting, to make something
truly unique.
By far this film’s greatest asset is Olivia Coleman’s Queen
Anne, an almost child-like figure who is able to be simultaneously the subject
of the audience’s laughter and their pity. Emma Stone also delivers a cruel and
calculating performance, doing an outstanding job as Abagail Hill, who along with
Rachel Weisz’s Sarah Churchill competes for the Queen’s favour.
Thanks to the film’s stunning location of Hatfield House, it
also has a gorgeous backdrop, which the cinematography shows off fully. Unfortunately,
the film is also punctuated by random slow-motion sequences, showing odd early
18th Century activities such as duck racing, which set the scene
somewhat but do little else. But luckily this doesn’t slow down the film too
much, as the dark drama of the main storyline is gripping throughout.
What makes this film truly unique is it’s rather fresh and
modern feel, in spite of its period setting. This is primarily achieved through
some unusual shot choices and an often very witty script. This is actually a
very clever move, as on a deeper level it allows the audience to see the truly
see the real people within the stiff and formal historical figures we would all
picture if we were reading this story from a history textbook.
