Jeri Jacquin
I absolutely love period pieces so I have been anxiously
waiting for director Yorgos Lanthimos and Fox Searchlight Pictures offering of
THE FAVOURITE.
Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) sits on the throne in 18th
Century England England
is also at war with France
Enter Abigail (Emma Stone) a fall aristocrat turned servant
girl who isn’t well received in the kitchen of the Queen. Sarah sees how her
cousin is treated and becomes a mentor to the young girl. Abigail wants nothing
more than to return to the life she once knew and realizes this just might be
the way for that to happen.
During one of the Queens
outbursts, Abigail takes pity on her and starts a friendship over the royals
“children” (rabbits). The Queen is delighted as they spend the afternoon
sharing and laughing together. Sarah catches wind of what is happening with the
Queen and lets it be known in her own way that trying to weasel in to the
Queen’s favor might not be such a good idea.
Now that the gauntlet is thrown down – Abigail and Sarah go
toe to toe for the Queen’s attentions and who truly cares for the monarch is at
stake.
I must start with Colman as Queen Anne because she is
absolutely stellar, absolutely. From her tantrums to her insecurities to her
loyalties, Colman portrays the woman as most would never see a monarch –
vulnerable. Knowing that parliament is consistently against her, she attempts
to turn to those she should be able to trust. I love Colman’s performance with
ever emotion lay plainly before us, I do so hope her performance is recognized
and that accolades are given. She most definitely deserves them for this role.
Weisz as Lady Sarah is the smart, politically savvy and is
the no-nonsense taking companion to the Queen. She works hard at keeping the
crown on her royal head and makes it her business to know what everyone is
doing at all times. Weisz can pull off sassy and sarcastic in the same breath
better than other actress I know. Of course she does have her hands full with
Ms. Stone.
Stone as Abigail is a fallen aristocrat who doesn’t want to
stay that way. Getting into the Queen’s kitchen is the first step and getting
into her heart may just get Abigail off her knees and high in the rankings.
Stone begins as a fawn-eyed girl who is thrilled to have Lady Sarah show an
interest in her, but of course we all know that Stone can pull off fawn-eyed
girl with the best of them. I loved her antics from start to finish and kept
thinking about Abigail, ‘just because you can play the game doesn’t mean you
should!’
Other cast include Jennifer White as Mrs. Meg, LillyRose
Stevens as Sally, James Smith as Godolphin, Mark Gatiss as Lord Marlborough,
Edward Aczel as Earl of Stratford, Carolyn Saint-Pe as Madame Tournee, Joe
Alwyn as Masham and Nicholas Hoult as Harley.
THE FAVOURITE is a gloriously fascinating film about three
women who are filled with so much want that goes in so many different
directions. That being said, Abigail and Sarah have much different
relationships with Queen Anne although you’d have a tough time convincing
Abigail of that.
Sarah and the Queen understand one another clearly and it is
also clear that Sarah runs the part of the kingdom that the Queen is to busy
being petulant to deal with. That’s the crux of their relationship – one is
clearly and adult, the other is drowning from the weight of the crown. Yet in
that is a relationship of hilarity and sadness mixed together.
Abigail being the new girl to all of this is a distraction
for the Queen when Sarah is gone. The Queen believes she has a new and
understanding friend when it is clear Abigail has decided to get what Sarah has
and take a lot of short cuts to get there. She doesn’t have the understanding
of the other two and that’s where she makes mistakes.
This is a film that spans every human emotion possible in
that you don’t know at times whether to laugh, cry or be outright shocked. In
an era of excess and political gain, this cast revels in that history with
marvelous results. The surroundings only adds to the story telling with its
opulence and grandeur along with stunning clothing and jewelry.
THE FAVOURITE has already been recognized by the British
Independent Film Awards, Camerimage, and Ghent International Film Festival
Gotham Awards. The Hollywood Film Awards gave a win for Rachel Weisz and
Costume Designer Sandy Powell. The Venice Film Festival win came for Director
Yorgos Lanthimos and Best Actress for Olivia Colman (well done!).
This is one of my favorite films of the year so when
deciding what regurgitation to see in theatres, chose something new and amazing
with THE FAVOURITE!
In the end – some wounds do not close!
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