The Favourite

Of all the movies up for Best Picture, I have a feeling The Favourite is going to get the most polarized reaction from average movie-goers. Some people simply won't see Roma because it's subtitled or disagree with Black Panther or Green Book being nominated for Best Picture, but they're easy movies to recommend to different sects of movie fans. For The Favourite...well you're not going to float this one unless you love cringing in mixed company or know someone's tastes like the back of your hand. Why? So glad you asked.

Taking place in the 18th century, the movie follows Queen Anne of England (Olivia Colman) and her trusted adviser the Duchess of Marlborough (Rachel Weisz). Though the two women are close, and the Duchess effectively runs the country in the Queen's stead, the arrival of the Duchess' cousin (Emma Stone) threatens to open a rift between the two women and change the course of history.

For those unfamiliar with his work, director Yorgos Lanthimos loves to deconstruct familiar genres and ideas with what I'll dub "unsettling detachment." sprinkled with black comedy and sterile costume and cinematography. The Lobster is a absurdist deconstruction of modern dating, while The Killing of A Sacred Deer turns a horror movie premise into a punishing psychological drama.

With The Favourite the setup is basically a big joke. It takes the look and feel of a costume drama about two women vying for influence, and turns it into a dark comedy full of debauched behavior, filthy language, and casual violence. Imagine Game of Thrones, a classy period piece, and a Coen Brothers comedy smashed together and you've got the right idea.

Game of Thrones aims for visceral thrills. The violence brutal and the sex is filmed like pornography. In The Favourite it's just...there. Not voyeuristic thrills to be had. It's just happening. And juxtaposed with period appropriate dialogue and casual line delivery it's very funny in spots.

The detached approach also applies to the costume design and music. There's a startling absence of color in the film. Almost everyone wears black and white clothing with a color palette that feels like a hospital or a bunker (day vs. night). Likewise, the music teeters between the pomp and circumstance of the era's music and the unsettling minimalist scores of today. Everything about this movie is designed to make you feel uneasy, no matter who's on screen.

It takes the sheen off a period piece's properness and visual pleasures but doesn't let us enjoy the reversal. We just have to sit in how awful it and our characters are. It's a unique approach and I love it.

The main cast crushes this movie. Olivia Colman pulls off a magnificent push and pull for the audience's sympathy. She frequently behaves like a spoiled-child who either lacks the impulse control or intelligence to run the country, which makes us both sympathize with and hate anyone trying to earn her favor. And then she'll flip the switch with a line so sad or so biting that you'll love or hate her completely. It's spectacular.

For the "supporting" roles, I put that in quotes because all three women could get top billing, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone do excellent work with inverse character arcs. Rachel Weisz gets to let loose with some no so subtle threats and one-liners before changing into something more sympathetic, while Emma Stone lets us sympathize with her character before we start to hate her.

I'll also toss another compliment to the script, actors, and Lanthimos for never making these women beholden to anyone else but each other. This is their story and they wield power, regardless of the time period. The game is all on their terms.

 Verdict: Odd Fun

Unsettling and offbeat, The Favourite is designed for a very specific taste....but it also happens to be mine. 8/10