Female Film Critics 24/375
This is not your typical Oscar-bait historical drama, the kind with formally fancy costumes and stilted Queen’s English dialogue. Quite the opposite: “The Favourite” is an unapologetically profane, bracingly biting and wildly compelling tale of royal power plays fueled by three virtuoso women portraying refreshingly complex women.
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The Favourite is a tale of deception and ambition but one that is particularly cruel and vicious to women. The historical revisionism of the film while captivating is ultimately a tale of women conniving and scheming for power from a regent who is ridiculed by the men of the court.
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Greek-born director Yorgos Lanthimos’ opulent costume drama relates scandalous rumors that have circulated for years about 18th century Queen Anne, the last of the Stuart monarchs, who reportedly indulged in lesbian liaisons with two of her closest sycophants.. After losing 17 children, portly, peevish, petulant Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is no longer interested in ruling England, which is waging war with France. Instead, she’d rather eat sweets, play with her pet rabbits and dawdle with pretty young ladies.
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A brash, bracing rethink of the historical costumer set in England’s 18th century court, The Favourite is far more audience friendly than the previous work of Greek auteur/provocateur Yorgos Lanthimos, whose super quirky films The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer have divided viewers. With The Favourite Lanthimos gets everyone on board in a wayward, ribald entertainment — anchored by stylish turns from Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Olivia Colman — that shifts women from the periphery of court intrigue to its center.
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NYFF is reliable in presenting meaty roles for women. This year’s notable performances include Juliette Binoche and Regina King, an actress who is often underappreciated. Also on my list are Molly Shannon, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz, among others presented here in no particular order.
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In addition to her chameleonic performances, Kidman is being recognized for her career-long support of independent filmmakers, particularly women. Through her production company, Blossom Films, she has produced many projects, including last year’s “Big Little Lies,” which was a phenomenon that entered not only the cultural, but the social zeitgeist.
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Chilean director Sebastian Lelio, who won this year’s Foreign Language Oscar for the transgender drama A Fantastic Woman, has adapted
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Disobedience deals with a vow to obey. Sebastián Lelio has made a name for himself as a director not just
Read moreActresses showed impressive range in a variety of roles at this year’s TIFF. Sure, people were talking about the incredible
Read moreDaphne du Maurier’s 1951 novel is the epitome of Gothic melodrama, filled with an insidious sense of danger and death.
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