• Release year: 2018
• Director: Yorgos Lanthimos.
• Producers: Ceci Dempsey, Ed Guiney, Yorgos Lanthimos and Lee Magiday.
• Screenplay by: Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara.
• Cinematographer: Robbie Ryan.

Shotgun Commentary: great acting, average story, more fable than comedy.

Review

The Favourite is generally categorised as biography, comedy and drama. Sadly, while the biography and drama characteristics are pretty clear, the comedy part is a bit greyer.

A woman’s perspective

Two women turn on each other to survive in a world in which being ripped apart and left to die in the street, or living with all the luxuries available, depends on the whim of a clearly unstable woman with the mentality of a 10-year-old: impulsive and capricious. As a female viewer, you can feel the tense shadow that looms over the story with dreadful promises of what can happen to the loser of this competition. This dampers the fun absurdity of the situations that take place.

Additionally, while some parts are fun, the constant reminder of the abuses that women had to endure during that era creates a constant sense of uneasiness, despite these not being graphic and being mentioned in the most nonchalant way possible.

Nevertheless, the narrative of cat and mouse where it is very unclear who is who, is an exciting storyline to follow. The strategies of the opposing players of this metaphorical chess game are fascinating to follow and, despite the constant pressure of impending doom for the loser, it is quite fun as a theoretical social experiment. Especially when it gets past the point of who is smarter onto who will go further.

The cast makes the film

The performances given by the main three characters are fantastic, but a bit unbalanced. Weisz and Colman’s performances are way above Stone’s. Not because of a lack of talent, but because her character feels less emotionally demanding.

It might be that Stone’s association with comedy is so direct that her face automatically makes everything look carefree, but it is also a safe bet to say that her character’s development, or lack thereof, had a big part in this performance gap between actresses. Abigail (Emma Stone), is exactly the same person from the beginning until a couple of minutes before the end credits roll. Her stagnant personality is sometimes light and fun, but overall it gets repetitive and dull. When a character is unwilling to evolve, you lose your empathy towards them out of pure boredom.

On the other hand, there are Weisz and Colman. They both shine bright in their interpretations of Lady Sarah and Queen Anne, respectively. Lady Sarah sees her world slowly fall apart soon after Abigail’s arrival and uses all her cunning and skills to come out on top. She struggles to combine empathy and power, the first of which ends up being her worst enemy. This rollercoaster of emotions and mental exhaustion is portrayed beautifully by Rachel Weisz, who brings life to this complex character effortlessly.

As for Colman, her portrayal of an erratic, over-indulged and misunderstood Queen Anne is simply perfect. Queen Anne’s personality can be very easily turned into a cliché. Luckily, the film peels each layer of this character very slowly and carefully. This creates a delightful experience for the spectator, who can follow Abigail and Sarah’s feud alongside the mysterious story of Queen Anne.

Perfect ending

All the drama, corruption, betrayal and conspiracies lead to an incredible ending that is as poetic as it is instructive. Surprising? Not much. But it sends a pretty strong message that closes up the fable-like story that the feature aims to share. The character of Lady Sarah hints at it with her “Oh my God. You actually think you have won […] We were playing very different games”. However, it is Abigail’s expression during the last scene that creates the most impactful vision. The point is made crystal clear when her face merges with that of the bunnies. The perfect cherry on top for The Favourite.

Advice to take from this movie:

• Women are survivors.
• Never underestimate what a woman is capable of.
• In case you forgot your Shakespeare: all that glitters is not gold.

What’s your take? Have you watched The Favourite? What did you think of it? Don’t hesitate to let me know your thoughts in the comments section below, or leave a message in my contact page! For more reviews and cinema-related articles, check out the rest of my blog! 😀

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