Being ‘The Favourite’ has its price

Posted on January 4, 2019

By MARK VIOLA

“The Favourite,” the latest film from arthouse director Yorgos Lanthimos (“The Lobster,” “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”), is loosely based on real people and real events set within the reign of British monarch Queen Anne (Olivia Colman, “Broadchurch”).

The story revolves around Anne and her favorite at court, Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz, “The Mummy”), a childhood friend, confidant and perhaps even more. Whereas Anne is sickly and emotionally fragile, Sarah is blunt and conniving, essentially running the government for her queen.

One day, Sarah’s cousin Abigail (Emma Stone, “La La Land”) arrives looking for work after her family’s fall from power. As Abigail finds a place within the palace, befriending the queen along the way, Sarah begins to see her cousin as a threat, and a rivalry is born. But, is Abigail really the kind-hearted maiden she seems, or is she more like her cousin than Sarah could predict?

First off, the performances in “The Favourite” are outstanding, especially from Coleman, whose portrayal of the queen is comical, heartbreaking and frightening in equal measures. And, like Abigail, there is a question as to her true abilities.

This is definitely not a film for everyone, and is the very definition of an Oscar-bait picture that gets nominated, leaving most movie-goers asking themselves “What movie?” when it is listed at the Academy Awards.

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