ABIGAIL’S (Emma Stone) PARTY…………….
Superb performances, top draw script, excellent direction – so good is THE FAVOURITE (Yorgos Lanthimos, 120 mins), a darkly comic account of the conniving and conspiring taking place at the 18th Century court of Queen Anne, it seems strange to reflect there is scarcely a likable or engaging character in the entire film.
Yet as the plot twists and hisses like a rapacious serpent all around the ailing, beleaguered Monarch, the venom pouring forth from those intent on personal and political advancement make this spikey, sharply-honed tale an engrossing watch.
Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), is overweight, depressed and stricken not only by the debilitating effects of gout but personal malady over the children she has lost at birth or in infancy – her bedchamber full of rabbits, each of the seventeen representative of a child who failed to survive.
For advice on affairs of state along with her health and sexual comforts the Queen relies on Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), who begins the piece as the major force in exerting control over the machinations of government, influence bestowed by the throne to be the power behind it.
On her forceful lobbying the Queen comes under pressure to increase taxes in order to fund the ongoing war with France, in which the Duke of Marlboro and husband of Lady Sarah (Mark Gattis) is emerging successful from one battle after another. But Leader of the Opposition Robert Harley (Nicholas Hoult), whose considered opinions are in stark contrast to his excessive wig, argues for a peace treaty in order to save money and lives.
Into this heady mix of lust and distrust comes Abigail (Emma Stone), a down-at-heel cousin of Lady Sarah, who soon becomes an object of lust herself. Initially dispatched to the palace kitchen to earn her keep, she has enough shadowy wiles to quickly precipitate a rise from below stairs to royal bedchamber, the comfort she brings to the Queen not just confined to soothing aches in her gout-ridden legs.
Disarmed at being usurped in Royal affections, Lady Sarah demands Abigail be banished but in a rare show of enforcing her authority the Queen dismisses the notion (‘I like it when she puts her tongue inside me’). So begins the most intense power struggle of all, which soon develops from a sniping, devilishly amusing feud into something far more dark and cruel – indeed, this venomous vendetta combines the disconcerting weirdness of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ with the humour and hubris of series three ‘Blackadder’.
Whatever concessions have been made for dramatic effect at the altar of historical accuracy matters hardly a jot when presented with such an accomplished and intelligent piece of film-making, the story underpinned by the three wonderful performances at its core.
As the Queen veers between narcissism and fragility, Colman is at her very best when the pendulum rests somewhere between the two at tragic ambivalence, while Weisz gives Lady Sarah a calculating, sinister edge, but never once does her scheming or wilfulness seem contrived. As the battle between her and Abigail begins to intensify, Sarah throws the contents of a bookshelf at the interloper cousin and although the scene is striking (in every sense) and wickedly funny it is never allowed to degenerate into farce, Lanthimos doing an excellent job throughout in maintaining comic discipline.
From Stone there is also a deft take on how ambition can be wrapped in innocence and presented as simple affability. Like the film itself she is subtle but concise in intention.
‘The Favourite’ is sharp as a tack, smartly imaginative – it makes nice use of the little-known 1969 Elton John song ‘Skyline Pigeon’ over the closing credits, its swirling harpsichord making it sound like an 18th Century period piece – and always highly original. With its shrewd absurdity, this acidic comedy of manners goes way beyond the usual confines of a pre-Regency costume drama – in fact the producers could have called it ‘Dual and Duality’ if someone had not already beaten them to the title.
NEIL SAMBROOK is the author of MONTY’S DOUBLE – an acclaimed thriller now available as an Amazon Kindle Book.