An early-18th-century All About Eve. There’s no substitute for Bette Davis, but the three modern heavy hitters do slay.
Not as thematically ambitious or overall successful as Yorgos Lanthimos last picture, Killing of a Sacred Deer, a whole lot of The Favourite seems half baked.
It doesn’t really matter though, because The Favourite is actually just a vehicle for its stars. And they’re great across the board. Olivia Colman is the big winner, but Emma Stone is a whole lot of fun as – arguably – the actor playing most against type.
It is also worth noting that the women of The Favourite get to be ugly hearted and unsympathetic in ways that women are rarely allowed in Hollywood movies. Which is cool, kind of.
This movie, with its anachronistic (but not inaccurate) approach to a historical rivalry reminded me most of Amadeus. I’m glad to see such an odd film get some acclaim, but I wish it had been more focused.
in the dark 