Film Review: The Favourite (2018)

In 2016 we were told that this world would become a place of indescribable happiness and prosperity once a woman came to lead its most powerful nation. A little later, we were told that humanity, which failed to seize that opportunity, did not deserve to live and that perhaps it was best it swiftly perished in a nuclear apocalypse. This stance is rooted in today's "woke" elite's popular thesis that the Y chromosome is one of the main causes of all evil in the world, meaning that any rule led by a woman is, as a rule, better than rule led by a man.

Those who enjoy digging through history books will not agree and will sooner conclude that the universal Sturgeon's Law applies to female rulers as well. Thus, for every personality like Catherine the Great or Thatcher, there are hundreds of dilettantes who brought their states and subjects years, decades, and sometimes centuries of misery, wars, and general ruin.

The history of the British Isles, so beloved by Hollywood filmmakers, has provided ample opportunity to test this theory, thanks to a relatively large number of women on the throne and relatively long reigns. One such story is the template for The Favourite, a 2018 black comedy by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos.

The plot takes place in 1708 when England and Scotland, not long after formally uniting into the United Kingdom, are ruled by Queen Anne (Olivia Colman). Several years after ascending the throne following her husband's sudden death, the middle-aged Anne struggles with poor health and spends most of her time engaged in various eccentric hobbies, showing little interest in such trivial matters as governing the state—even while it is embroiled in a years-long exhausting war with France, the leading European power.

Fortunately, at court is Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz), Duchess of Marlborough, her best friend and lover, always ready to shoulder unnecessary burdens on her behalf, even if it means dealing with high politics and making far-reaching decisions, including those on the continued viability of the war. Her main motivation is to aid the career of her husband, John (Mark Gatiss), whose military victories over the French have brought him fame and wealth.

Sarah's daily routine as the de facto ruler of the British Isles is temporarily interrupted by the arrival of her distant cousin, Abigail Hill (Emma Stone), the daughter of impoverished nobles hoping to somehow secure a position at court. Sarah, however, is not overly impressed and considers herself generous enough to stick her in the kitchen as a mere skivvy. A fortunate twist of fate involving the Queen's gout and an incident where Abigail discovers the medicinal properties of a local herb, however, gives the young woman a chance to alleviate the Queen's health problems and thus begin gradually gaining her favour.

Before Sarah can properly take stock and realise what is happening, Abigail, through skilful manipulation and dirty tricks, establishes herself as the new grey eminence at court, all closely watched by senior politicians from opposing parties, including the conservative Tories, who are desperate for the war to end so they don't have to pay the taxes necessary to fund it.

The Favourite premiered at the Venice Film Festival, where it won the Grand Jury Prize and the Volpi Cup for Olivia Colman's performance, but its true value for the wider film-going public would only become apparent after the conclusion of the "Oscar" race. In this sense, it is often compared to Mary Queen of Scots, given that the two films share protagonists in the form of rulers of the British Isles. Comparisons between the two films are overwhelmingly in favour of The Favourite, which should not come as too much of a surprise since Lanthimos is a fairly experienced director who, thanks to a series of films unusual in theme, atmosphere, and style, has earned a reputation as one of the most interesting filmmakers today.

What is perhaps far more important is that Lanthimos was not at all burdened by day-to-day politics, or the need to pander to SJW moralists. Thus, The Favourite can hardly be called a feminist film, at least if feminism doesn't include the view that men and women are equal when it comes to folly, incompetence, greed, and ruthlessness.

The film, for which Tony McNamara's screenplay had to wait two decades for adaptation (reportedly because its three protagonists are lesbians), not only shows that the "weaker sex" can comfortably compete with men in destructive political machinations, but in it, men are treated precisely as a typical Hollywood film would treat women—as decoration, or, at best, as grotesquely funny creatures. The costume design supports this, as all the men, even when played by today's great heartthrobs like Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn, are not only reduced to mostly helpless pawns in the battle between two ruthless women for the favour of a third, but their status is confirmed by grotesque wigs and layers of makeup on their faces.

To all this, of course, one must add the skilful use of black humour and rather interesting dialogue. But, as usual with films of the "Oscar" season, most attention will be paid to the acting. All three actresses have done a brilliant job, with Weisz perhaps faring the worst, mainly because she is already an established name, so an "Oscar-worthy" performance is expected of her. The young Emma Stone proved herself, including through her excellent command of flawless British diction. However, the most praise will go to Colman, who, without any problems, made her character so fascinating that she is capable of evoking both pity and deep antipathy in the viewer in one and the same scene.

Lanthimos's film was therefore considered a justified favourite in the race for the "Oscar," despite a somewhat drawn-out and not entirely clear ending. When it ended up without the golden statuettes, it was easy to conclude that it had been due to day-to-day political reasons—namely, because the Academy may have liked women in power, but not the kind portrayed in The Favourite.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

(Note: The text in the original Croatian version was posted here.)

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