2018’s The Favourite,
directed by Yargos Lanthimos.
Starring Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman, Nicholas
Hoult, Joe Alwyn, Emma Delves, Faye Daveney, Mark Gatiss, and James Smith.
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture, Best
Director (Yargos Lanthimos), Best Original Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony
McNamara), Best Actress (Olivia Colman), Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone),
Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz), Best Cinematography (Robbie Ryan), Best
Costume Design (Sandy Powell), Best Editing (Yorgos Mavropsaridis), and Best
Production Design (Fiona Crombie and Alice Felton).
What is it about?
The Favourite is
based in England, around the period of 1708. Queen Anne (played by Olivia
Colman), presides over England, Scotland, and Ireland, while embroiled in war
with France. The Queen’s mental and physical health are in question, with her
preferring to observe rabbit races and have affairs in secret rather than run
her kingdom. Running the kingdom for her, is the Duchess of Marlborough, Sarah
Churchill (Rachel Weisz), who manipulates Anne to gain political favour while
comforting her in the bedroom. Churchill’s destitute cousin, Abigail Hill
(played by Emma Stone), returns to England after her father lost their family’s
fortune and gave away Abigail’s hand in marriage to a German over a card game.
Abigail seeks to regain her family’s good name, and realizes that it might be
possible with the queen susceptible to manipulation. Will she be able to climb
the ranks of a rigid class society?
Why is it worth seeing?
Director Yargos Lanthimos has always had a keen eye for
satire, turning a deadpan eye on the various aspects of society over topics
like relationships, household paternity, and sheltering children. The results
have often tinged as close to the horror genre as they do comedy, and his
arthouse eccentricities have kept him in somewhat elite company, safe from
mainstream acceptance. The Favourite
brings back more of the same sensibilities, but armed with a true story (based
on true to life characters and circumstances), Lanthimos produces his most
accessible work to date- without losing any of the acerbic bite.
Screenwriters Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara’s sharp focus
on the 18th century Victorian ruling class, presents a monarchy
state as much at war with itself as with the French, populated by squabbling elites
in Tory wigs and a hypocritical class structure where the vast majority of
people can lose everything for reasons as innocuous as your parents’ actions in
card games. Once freed of such burdens like income and status, one is eligible
to sleep on the floor of the servant’s hall, for a shot at regaining status
amongst the elite. Indeed, as Emma Stone’s character penetrates the base of the
privilege pyramid, it’s striking how the people at the bottom are depicted as
being as much dog eat dog, as the people are at the top.
As always, Lanthimos is able to coax top performances from
his cast, with highlights including Nichoas Hoult’s cruel dandyfop, the unpredictable
equal parts hysterical but calculated Olivia Colman’s queen, Rachel Weisz’ deceptive
baroness, and in particular, Emma Stone’s desperate and underhanded servant. It
all makes for captivating viewing, as the genteel characters peel back society’s
golden layer to reveal something resembling rotten fruit- that everybody is
fighting over.
Lanthimos (and cinematographer Robbie Ryan) film with
natural lighting and fish eye lenses, magnifying the grubby isolation and
loneliness of being at the top of the class pyramid, in conditions that the
poor would have killed for- but still opulently ignorant of genuine
cleanliness, hygiene, and warmth. The results are a society whose values and
traditions are akin to that of an Emperor not wearing clothes.
As a feel good exercise, The
Favourite won’t be for everyone. They’re missing out on a quality
production and historical artifact who’s archetypes serve as a scathing comment
on the inflated hypocrisy of the ruling class- and the determination and
chicanery required to penetrate above it. It certainly was for me- yet again
Lanthimos’ works have made me belly laugh at times, while marveling at his oddly
confident technique. It’s 1 of the year’s best.
No comments:
Post a Comment