Olivia Coleman stars as Queen Anne in Yorgos Lanthimos’s period drama. Find out what the critics had to say about it….
The Observer: **** “Yorgos Lanthimos’s tragicomedy set in the court of Queen Anne boasts daring performances from its three female stars and lashings of lust, intrigue and deceit”
The Irish Times: ***** “It shouldn’t need to be said that the film-makers have prodded the historical facts to their own mischievous ends. Anybody complaining about inaccuracies deserves one of Stone’s nasal snorts. Others may more justifiably wonder if Lanthimos’s aesthetic is occasionally just a little too misanthropic.”
www.independent.ie: ***** “Olivia Colman dominates the film with a fearless, nuanced, fascinating portrayal of a broken-hearted woman.”
The Independent: ***** “It’s a hilarious, buffoonish pleasure, right down to the sets and costume design, and a breeze to spend 120 minutes with. All hail Lanthimos’s finest, most consistent film yet.”
Variety: ” “The Favourite” comes off as an upper-crust concoction, but it’s rooted in events and relationships that really took place. That’s most apparent in the character of Queen Anne, played by Olivia Colman (from “The Crown” and “The Lobster”) as a genuine dysfunctional monarch.”
Rollingstone.com: ***** ” That’s Lanthimos for you, never one to settle for one tone when he can throw a whole parade at you. Best of all, he makes us care about this women warriors who, without compromising their strength, also reveal their vulnerability and sorrow. It’s a creative burst that’s as profound as it is playful.”
BBC: ***** “The Favourite is a treat as rich and luxuriant as any of Anne’s decadent cakes, and it could be mistaken at times for a particularly bawdy pantomime. But it’s ultimately a kind of tragedy. If its heroines could only work together instead of against each other, who knows what they might achieve?”
The Wrap: “Filmgoers of the “But who do I root for?” school may find themselves adrift in all this psychological warfare, but the sight of Colman, Stone and Weisz carving out their own agency amidst a male-dominated culture creates the kind of wincing pleasure that make Lanthimos’ films such spiky delights.”
Hollywood Reporter: “Lastly, there’s no costume designer more skilled at injecting sly touches of modernity into period wardrobe than Powell; her stunning work here has a theatrical flair that seems just right for characters so outside the parameters of the average British period film.”
The Telegraph: **** “The Favourite is wily, warped and ticklish – an uproarious history lesson taught through cracked glass.”
Culture Whisper: **** “This is a history lesson as much as a crown jewel of high-profile performances, proving that there is great strength in the courting of a woman’s heart.”
Slant Magazine: *** “While the film is at its most satisfying when focused on the private antics of the three key players, also of note is Nicholas Hoult’s sublime supporting turn as Robert Harley, a powdered, petulant young minister who fancies himself as a Machiavellian schemer but who arrogantly underestimates the women he hopes to manipulate.”
The Mirror: ***** “The Favourite lives up to its title as one of the best films in a long while and Lanthimos’ best. An hilariously divine historical farce full of dynamite performances.”
City Am: ” As brave as it is bonkers, it’s a masterclass in how to make history provocative in the coarse age we find ourselves in.”
Monstagigz: **** “What is very now is that it’s a story with 3 strong female characters and as such there’s clearly an audience for this type of material.”
Evening Standard: ***** ” This is a film that bows down to drama queens. Worship it, asap.”
The Favourite is released in cinemas on the 1st January 2019.