The Favourite

[echt]

Where to start with this:
acting all round, especially Olivia Colman, though I feel bit unfair ranking her when Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz and Nicholas Hoult were so entrancing too.

Outstanding costumes and tip-top disco dancing (spoiler alert).

It's petty much plot-free on the obvious level, though based on historical events and real people. Replete with anachronistic language, but deliberately so, so trés post-modern.

I loved it.

Subversive and brilliant - it definitely deserves its Oscar nomination.

Just don't go expecting a traditional historical drama and you won't be disappointed.

And be wary if going with teenagers - the sex is not explicit but it may be a bit shocking to some.

I think its a bit like the Emperors New Clothes.

Completely agree.

I adored it and am going back to watch it again. I know quite a lot about Queen Anne - I wouldn't say this trashes her reputation at all. She is treated extremely harshly by historians, and the lesbian rumours were started by Sarah Churchill herself writinb about Abigail at the time.

I found it more moving than funny, but loved the cinematography (must rewatch some Greenaway though to contrast as it's been a long time) and the inventiveness of it all. And to have three women at the centre of a film was glorious. Followed it up with Mary, QOS a few days later, another inaccurate but fascinating film about women.

@Isitmybathtimeyet I agree about the lesbian rumours but I think it was the fact that she was portrayed as completely stupid that I wasn't keen on. She did make some wrong decisions but she took an active interest in affairs of state. I thought she was just portrayed as completely foolish.

I did enjoy the film though! Beautiful costumes and cinematography and some great dialogue. I'd like to see Rachel Weisz win an Oscar.

See I didn't think she did come across as stupid. She had her moments but she was also cunning, stubborn and funny. She felt like a rounded real person.

Quite pleased to read it wasn't only me who didn't enjoy this film (although accept I'm in the minority.) Watched it last night. My husband and I agreed that it was unclear what we were supposed to feel - and yes I know that's subjective - but it felt messy. There wasn't enough build up and the story line felt wishy washy. The acting was very good though. Lesbian bits felt forced and unnecessary. We left 2/3 in - it just wasn't grabbing us at all and I completely expected it to.

Loved it. Ending odd though. Bit Monty Python

I am now finding out about Queen Anne. We rushed through the end of the Stuarts at school at the end of the summer term before I gave up history. Surprised the film was based on more fact than I expected.

Loved the music too. The music in the Greenaway Draughtman's Contract was based on Purcell's King Arthur, I think they may have used similar here but can't find much about what music they used.

We enjoyed that it was quite mental. Dark humour not dissimilar feel to Killing Eve.

Mmmm. I felt that it didn't live up to the hype, so often the case these days. Bit like the Shape of Water last year.

I won't say I hated it but I was glad when it ended, even if the ending was a bit silly. DH felt the same and we did hate the soundtrack, I'm hesitant to call some of it music!

Acting was good but again not sure OC was Oscar level. Going to try and get in a few more nominated films before the awards so I can get a handle on the competition. I'm expecting Glenn Close to give OC a run for her money but we shall see.

I thought it was overlong, unfunny and pretentious. Found the story a bit hard to follow too. I thought Emma Stone was quite wooden, Rachel Weisz doing her usual thing quite unexceptionally and Olivia Colman was fine but nowhere near Oscar worthy. I wouldn't bother wasting my time watching it again.

I really want to understand the use of the repeated note (played on a ?viola and harpsichord) played for an insanely long time twice during the film.
I understand the use of music to lend tension and drama to a scene but why would you want to use music to intentionally irritate your viewers to such an extent that they stopped caring about what was happening in the film altogether and just sat there silently fuming at the mosquitoesque aural irritant.
Why did they do that?

Only just seen it. This post sums it up for me
I thought it was an Olivia Coleman acting masterclass but not much else. Too long, no plot, no real message, the emphasis on sex seemed out of kilter with the underlying tragedy. Weird, pointless and I it left me feeling quite empty.

I think Olivia Coleman played Queen Anne very sympathetically; devastated by her miscarriages and quite sweet and naive.

I didn’t get the ending with the zillions of rabbits