The Favourite

Ducks (racing ducks, no less), copious rabbits and, yes, lobsters (nice reference) all feature heavily in Yorgos Lanthimos’ period drama The Favourite.

If that doesn’t indicate to you that this film is anything but traditional then perhaps the sight of Nicholas Hoult in OTT period dress will, or the contrapuntal string stabs of the score or Lanthimos’ brilliant use of the fish-eye lens as he pans across long corridors.

For The Favourite is not traditional, as we should know to expect from Lanthimos, but is instead a highly original, laugh-out-loud, slyly manipulative pastiche of tradition and, perhaps, the current state of the nation.

It chiefly concerns two estranged cousins vying for the attention of the frail Queen Anne, on the throne as Britain is at war with France. To say more would be to spoil the twists, trials, tribulations and manipulations of the two.

It boasts award-nom’s aplenty and the three towering central performances deserve to lift some of the gongs on offer. Olivia Colman breaks out of the shackles of TV with a diverse and layered portrayal of the Queen, at once vulnerable and capable of vicious outbursts. Rachel Weisz is initially villainous as the manipulative Duchess of Marlborough before earning our sympathy by the time the credits roll and Emma Stone may just be the best of the bunch as the conniving Abigail, whose transformation from lowly maid to trusted adviser is built on charm and cunning.

This triptych anchor the film through its arty and leftfield moments, with Lanthimos not playing to the period drama crowd. He’s not afraid to include visceral, slow motion scenes of surreal activity to highlight the preposterousness and hypocrisy of high society including a bizarre game of ‘throw rotten fruit at the naked Tory’, a game I’m sure many are all too happy to try.

He also litters the script with gratuitous language designed in part to shock but which elicits plenty of laughs. The script is tight and cutting and anchors the film to the central plot despite the arthouse flourishes.

Whilst it won’t be to everyone’s taste The Favourite is Yorgos Lanthimos’ best yet and a worthy awards frontrunner.

4 stars ****