The Favourite

During this year`s winter holidays I got the opportunity to see `The Favourite`, a 2018 period comedy-drama directed by the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos. This 119 minute masterpiece touched so many aspects that I do not know which one to begin with. The first thing I noticed and totally adored about this film was the originality of the script. When I walked in the theatre I was expecting to see just another historical film that has already been done and that could not possibly trigger any new interest in the subject. I was mostly amazed by how entertaining and different `The Favourite` was, and how absurd and unexpected the events turned out to be. The film reflects the story of Queen Anne of England and her short but -I would say intense- reign in the early 18th century, when a new servant named Abigail arrives at the Royal Court and evokes chaos turning the Queen against her most beloved friend and secret lover, Lady Sarah, played by Rachel Weisz.

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I need to tell you about the brilliant Olivia Colman who portrays the Queen. Her performance was truly the best thing in the film and completely worth watching as she smoothly makes you forget about the present transferring you in the 1700s right in the middle of the `masquerade`. Even if most of the events are fictional I believe they reveal precisely how hard it was to be Queen considering the everyday tensions and the political decisions that had to be made. In my opinion, Colman should definitely win the Academy Award for her acting achievements in `The Favourite` as she convinced me she was as frail and emotionally unstable as the monarch.

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If getting to know Colman has not intrigued you enough, wait until I tell you about her `favourites` because you will definitely love them. The devoted companion, Lady Sarah Churchill, is the woman responsible of taking care of Queen Anne by being by her side and helping her make wise decisions. Her political views were often crucial for the country`s objective as long as the Queen was too ill to decide what is best for England. This way Lady Sarah managed to govern the country and take action in the war against the French until Abigail Masham, portrayed by the hilarious Emma Stone, made her first appearance at the Royal Court. As scandalous and evil as it was, her presence turned out to be vital for the film`s development and I can assure you it had a major impact on Anne. Abigail did not cease to impress the ruler by complimenting and taking care of her when Sarah was too busy leading the state. The two female characters with both strong tempers and personal aspirations declared their very own war against one another, the prize being either a place in the Queen`s heart or a better reputation in the high society.

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The whole ensemble of actors gave a unique touch to the stunning screenplay written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara that was meant to enhance the inanity and -well- oddity of the events. Even though this is the first Lanthimos film I have seen, he convinced me with his directing technique and memorable administration of the cinematic feature that he deserves at least an Academy Award nomination for his work. As long as the sound department is concerned I strongly believe they did a wonderful job editing and mixing the classical music with the modern suspenseful pieces that help with getting into the atmosphere of the 1700s.

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Conclusively I recommend `The Favourite` to anyone who has ever felt the need to see a bolder, better and completely distinctive historical film that does not disappoint in any measure and does not fall short of expectations.

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