THE FAVOURITE (2018) Review
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos
To be honest, I wasn’t feeling the first twenty minutes or so of the film. I’m not that fond of period dramas. But when Emma Stone arrived and the conflict of the story begins to go bigger, The Favourite got my attention.
Synopsis: Early 18th century. England is at war with the French. Nevertheless, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail Masham (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and Abigail sees a chance at a return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become quite time consuming for Sarah, Abigail steps into the breach to fill in as the Queen’s companion. Their burgeoning friendship gives her a chance to fulfill her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way.
I’m not that familiar with Olivia Colman, I have seen some of her movies but didn’t notice her. Thank God for this film, she gets to be showcased fully. But the film doesn’t just showcase Colman, her co-actors Stone and Weisz are just as brillant as her.
The film, apart from its performance, also has an engaging story. It’s characters and their stories are rich and was told in a way that is both entertaining and makes the story go deeper and move forward in a more interesting way.
Simply put, The Favourite will surprise you. Especially those who are not a fan of period dramas. It offers more than the impressive performances of its talented cast that you’ll find yourself engaged in its story and laughing in its wicked humor.
4 OUT OF 5 STARS
‘The Favourite’ is now showing at select Ayala Malls Cinemas nationwide from 20th Century Fox. Rated R-13 by the MTRCB.