The story of the The Favourite is set in the 18th century and centres on England’s Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), whose close friend, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) steps in to govern England because the queen is too frail. 

Director Yorgos Lanthimos’s film starts off relatively pleasantly, even though the atmosphere is quite tense. The tension continues, and things take a darker turn as the true motivations of the key players surrounding the queen begin to emerge. As a result, I found myself feeling increasingly sorry for Anne. Especially in her unfortunately frail state, and considering the tragedies she’s already endured.

Woven in with the tension and darkness is humour, which I enjoyed, and a noticeable amount of gratuitous but well-placed profanity. I liked the central performances by Coleman, Weisz and Emma Stone. I’ve never seen Stone’s generally very sweet-looking face and big, beautiful eyes take quite the less-than-sweet look they do in this movie. As for Coleman, I always knew she was capable with comedy, thanks to Peep Show, my favourite sitcom of all time. And, she does well in this heartbreaking, dramatic role. No wonder she’s already won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture.

The makeup and 18th-century costumes on both the men and women did well in delivering some fun and entertainment. Especially considering that many men walked around in massive wigs, quite a lot of makeup and ladies, especially the queen, wore dresses with comically puffy sleeves and skirts. 

The Favourite is not at the top of my list as far as movies about British royalty are concerned, but I did have a good time. Watch it because it’s generally good, and who knows, you might love it even more, particularly if you like rabbits.

Happy Film Loving,

G