Movies: The Favourite

(Drivebycuriosity) - Better late than never. I missed the movie "The Favourite" in the cinema theaters last year, but thanks to Netflix I could watch the film at least on the small screen  - and I loved it (imdb). "The Favourite" is set on the court of England´s Queen Anne in the early 18th century. The impoverished Abigail arrives on the court and works to gain the favor of the queen and to climb socially again. The plot circles around Abigail, the Queen and Sarah, the wife of the powerful Duke of Marlborough and the Queen`s incumbent favorite (this is a spoiler free blog. You can find a synopsis here  wikipedia). The court & the English parliament were divided into 2 fractions, those who wanted to raise taxes to finance an ongoing war with France (which would have benefited the military & the banks), and those who wanted peace and to avoid the tax hike. The frontier went through the Queen´s bed.

The combination of diverging political & economical interests with personal & amorous ambitions caused a lot conflicts. We follow power plays, seduction strategies, manipulation & deceit but director  Yorgos Lanthimos and script writers Deborah Davis & Tony McNamara tell a amusing story spiked with a lot of hilarious episodes.

The film benefits from a amazing cast, including Olivia Colman (the Queen), Emma Stone  (Abigail), Rachel Weisz (Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough) & Nicholas Hoult (Leader of the parliament opposition). Cinematographer Robbie Ryan and the rest of the team created a feast for the eyes. I indulged into the opulent baroque sceneries and elaborated camera shots. Get it, watch it!