The Favourite

It’s the early 18th century and England is at war with France – meanwhile in the court of Queen Anne, duck racing and pineapple eating are thriving. A frail Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) occupies the throne and her (very) close friend Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) governs the country in her stead while tending to Anne’s ill health and mercurial temper. When a new servant Abigail (Emma Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. Sarah takes Abigail under her wing and the ambitious Abigail sees a chance to return to her aristocratic roots. As the politics of war become more 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 fulfil her ambitions and she will not let woman, man, politics or rabbit stand in her way. There’s fun and fantastic performances in Yorgos Lanthimos’s (who has previously directed The Lobster and The Killing of A Sacred Deer) black comedy. But at its heart, this is a film exploring a woman whose loss has been unimaginable, and the toll that loss has taken on her mental health. “Weird, dirty but accessible, The Favourite is a perfectly performed, thrillingly made period picture that morphs before your very eyes.” Empire “With its 18th-century foppery, baroque soundtrack and uncompromisingly clever repartee, it will be too rich a cake for some. But it has three of the best female acting performances you’ll see this year.” The Mail on Sunday “daring performances from its three female stars and lashings of lust, intrigue and deceit” The Observer

The Favourite

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