The Favorite

In February 2019, The Favourite garnered much attention when its star, Olivia Colman, delivered a career-defining speech at the Academy Awards. Her remarks, a blend of wit and authenticity, catapulted a long-neglected actress into an internationally renowned name. In some ways, the speech encapsulated the spirit of the film—quirky, daring and downright irresistible.

With Yorgos Lanthimos (director of The Lobster and Dogtooth) at the helm, The Favourite stars Colman as Anne, Queen of Great Britain, alongside Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn. Weisz and Stone, who play Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, and Abigail Hill, respectively, vie for the Queen’s attention in a game of political and sexual intrigue.

These three powerful women drive the plot forward against the backdrop of the War of Spanish Succession. The macroscopic interests of the state are counterbalanced by the women’s own desires. To Anne, the goal is connection; to Sarah, power; and to Abigail, comfort. Penned by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara, the screenplay brings to relief all that these women will do for their aims.

Colman’s performance presents humanity as a pained and unhinged figure. She draws focus to Anne’s insecurity, whether before Parliament or as she wails on the floor, ailed by gout. Lanthimos highlights her pain by surrounding her with rabbits, which she calls her “little ones.” The deranged attachment she exhibits towards these animals translates to her possession of both Sarah and Abigail. In many ways, the character is a caricature. Colman does not shy away from this absurdity. Instead, she uses it to craft a portrait of a woman whose position enables her to be vulnerable in a court where humiliation means political death.

At the same time, Stone delivers one of the most powerful performances of her career. She takes a script brimming with the implausible and turns it into something real. Her transformation over the course of the film becomes one of its focal points and the audience can’t help but sit at the edges of their seats as they follow her along. The changes in inflection and tone that accompany this transition lead the audience to question the assumptions they made about her character in the first act of the film.

For a dramatic work, though, The Favourite does comedy very well. Quips are strewn across the screenplay, adding to the juiciness of each scene. Dramatic irony is also interspersed throughout the film, making it all the more enjoyable. The one note that may strike viewers as odd is the three-minute dance scene between Alwyn and Weisz. Yes, there may be some symbolic meaning imbued in this moment, but—to me at least—it was a distracting tangent that did not advance the plot in any significant manner.

Aside from its characters, the film dives into the fantastical with its cinematography. The use of a fish-eye lens throughout creates a feeling that parallels the madness of its central character. Furthermore, the use of natural light amplifies the shadows that threaten to engulf each character—perhaps a fitting metaphor for their tenuous positions in this dog eat dog reality.

At the same time, the costume design is immensely thoughtful. Each outfit corresponds to the personality that dons it; texture and color come together to form a physical manifestation of a character’s inner world. The period dress also adds a sense of grandeur to the film that heightens the drama surrounding it.

The sets are equally effective. There is never a moment in the film when something happens where it should not. Direct connections are drawn between scenes by the location in which they occur, and these changing interactions inform the journey of each character. The ornate design of the Queen’s grounds further serves as a metaphor for the events of the film itself—just as this beautiful structure houses venomous actions, the personas of its residents mask venomous anxieties, fears and longings.

Overall, The Favourite is an enthralling cinematic experience that draws one in easily. It’s an intellectual film but not a pretentious one. Through a periodic lens, the film provides commentary on issues that still grip society—madness, power, lust. With a stellar script and star-studded cast, Lanthimos takes a powder keg of potential and turns it into something that resonates and educates, no matter how many times it is viewed.