The Favourite: Three Fantastic Actresses, But Not Much Else!

Seeing a movie on Christmas night has been an annual tradition for Robin and me for many years, so off we went with our close friends Ted and Sarah to see "The Favourite."  This is a "Dangerous Liaisons" genre type of film.  If you like period pieces with political maneuverings, you will probably enjoy it.  It was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who also directed "The Lobster," a film that received critical acclaim that I almost walked out on.  (Click here if you are interested in my review of that one.)  The main reason to see it is for the AAW performances of the three lead female actors.  Although primarily a drama, the movie is often funny.  It also has some interesting scenes, but there were plot problems and the ending was ambiguous and unsatisfying.  Ted described it as "murky," which is as good a term as any.  I will say that, even with all its flaws, I liked it much better than "The Lobster."  My friend Steve, however, liked the movie much more than we did.  The film is on many Top 10 lists, so we may be a minority opinion. The film has an historical basis, although much of it is fiction.  It's early 18th century England, ruled by Queen Anne (Olivia Coleman).  England is at war with France and taxes on the land owners are high to support the war effort, while the peasants are doing all the fighting and getting killed.  The war is unpopular and the ruling class and natives are getting restless.  Anne had 17 miscarriages and/or still-births and has significant psychological problems.  She is vulnerable and easily manipulated.  The Queen's close friend, confidant, and political adviser is Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz).  Everything between them is fine, until Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) arrives.  Abigail was once an upper-class person – a distant cousin of Sarah – but her father lost his money and she fell far.  She gets hired at the castle as a maid.  Abigail is ambitious, cunning, and ruthless, initially becoming an ally to Sarah, but eventually rising in power and developing her own relationship with the Queen.  The film primarily revolves around the triangular power struggle between Olivia and Abigail to be the Queen's favorite.  Another prominent theme is what strong and ambitious females must do to obtain power in a man's world. It is rare to see three superb performances in the same movie.  (I'd never seen Emma show her dark side before!)  Nevertheless, despite the great acting, this film is NOT one of my "favourites" for 2018!