*The Favourite* is my Favorite

[This is the second in a series of three movie reviews to catch up on those that I saw over Christmas break while on the IR are due to my brain injury. Hope to have the third in the series out as soon as tomorrow, maybe?–this one (gag)on Mary Poppins Returns]

Since I’m told context is important, it is worth telling, I guess, that to see The Favourite we had to go a little more than an hour away to a theater that shows ”art house films.” This theater not only shows art house films but it has those big comfy chairs like barcalounger’sJ. However, given my physical status, I was unable to drive either way and even have to sleep on the way home -- as I indicated I found that movie viewing & going Is hard work.):

But it was worth it. I can’t actually catalog everything I saw this year, but I’m not sure if The Favourite isn’t my favorite movie of the year (and yes I agree with the critic I saw on TV who said that may be part of it -- getting to say The Favourite was my favorite J)

We like period movies here and this one is in excellent example of the form. Based loosely on the biography of Lady Marlborough (Sarah Churchill), The Favourite does an excellent job with costumes and cinematography to make you think that it’s really the early 18^th century.

On top of that, three main actors are all excellent. It’s hard to distinguish who you would single out– Rachel Weisz is great as Sarah, Emma Stone is a devilish Abigail and Olivia Colman has a great time being the Queen.

 If you haven’t gotten the gist of the story from the TV ads, Colman plays Queen Anne (1702-14) and Weisz and Stone compete to be her favorite. It is both historical and comical with some bits of it that are hard to believe given the time period (I’ll leave the details as if spoilers).  In all the manipulation among the courtiers, it is not clear whether Weisz’s Sarah or Stone’s Abigail are manipulating Colman’s queen or Colman is using them to get what she wants and needs. This is both the fun and the intellectual challenge that director Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster) presents for us.

To finish – very highly recommended.