I don't go to the movies as often as perhaps I ought to. Mostly because its rare that the local cinema shows a movie that I am actually really interested in seeing on the big screen. However, every once in a while, a movie like that comes out. One such film was The Favourite which originally came out in 2018 and had its Swedish premiere fairly recently. I read some reviews of the film (such as this one), saw the trailer on YouTube and said to myself: "Well, this looks like it should be right up my alley" and so, I went to see the movie in question, accompanied by my mother and sister.
Anyway, The Favourite is a British historical drama film, made by the Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos after a script by Debora Davis and Tony MacNamara and starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Olivia Colman. The Movie takes place in England at the court of Queen Anne during the early years of the 18th Century and concerns the rivalry between two women for the position of being, well, the Queen's Favourite.
The First of these two women is Sarah, wife to the Duke of Marlborough and Anne's current Favourite. Anne, being a nice, but not exactly what you'd call emotionally stable lady, Sarah and her husband has more or less been running things, much to the chagrin of Robert Harley, who is the leader of the opposition.
(Quick sidenote: Sarah and her husband are both ancestors of Winston Churchill, something I was completely unaware of going into the movie. In my defense, I will point out that the name Churchill is never mentioned in the film itself).
The Other woman is Abigial, a younger cousin of Sarah's who arrives at court looking for a job. Initially relegated to the kitchen, circumstances lead to Sarah taking Abigail under her wing. A decision she soon comes to regret as Abigail soon catches Anne's eye and grows closer to the Queen, threatening Sarah's position.
Watching The Favourite the movie that came to mind the most for me was The Lion in Winter.
Granted, Lanthimos' film features is a lot grimier and more lurid than Lion, but the similarities are definitely there. Both movies takes place in a historical setting and features a cast of characters who, when they are not trading barbs, are busy plotting to stab each other in the back. This is of course, very entertaining to watch.
Last, but certainly not least, one can't talk about The Favourite without mentioning its trio of lead actresses, who all bring their characters to life wonderfully. The Three women this film revolves around must surely count among the most memorable characters in contemporary cinema. I also like the fact that the movie subverted expectations in the way the two rivals were portrayed. Basically, when they are first introduced Abigail comes off as the spirited, plucky heroine to Sarah's calculating villain, but as the film progresses we learn that things are not so clear cut.
In conclusion, I found The Favourite to be a terrific movie that well lived up to my expectations and it made me interested in checking out more of Lanthimos' filmography. There's one movie of his in particular that I'm interested in: The Killing of a Sacred Deer, which is apparently a modern day re-telling of the Iphgenia myth. Sounds like it could be up my alley.
