Movie #1658 "The Favourite" --- this is an odd one, I have to admit it, but I found it quite enjoyable. It engaged my interest until the end..... It basically is a triad love affair (with women), and each is vying to be Queen Anne's favorite --- at first, it seems that the way Abigail is pickled on, and considering her previous life in sexual subjugation, we, as the audience, favor her --- the things she does to get in the Queen's favor seem not so bad at all, but then as she steps over a line, we get to see just how cruel she can be and the scales tip to Sarah. The way it plays out is full of intrigue (not to mention very loud, annoying music, at times, and 17 adorable rabbits) and sarcasm, crafty manipulation and a odd ending that you are expected to talk about afterwards --- which is okay with me, but I guess this director is know for weirdness, esp. in his endings. I have not experienced any of his other films, but I liked overall the style and sense of humor. I kept thinking how it was full of wigs (esp. for the men) and stuffy dresses and hat, but actually could be caught commenting on our society today --- it takes a story of backbiting to get political power that years ago would have been seen filmed with men in the leads , but with the me too movement has now become a female vehicle. There's a sub theme: being truthful shows love, and in our society filled with fakeness and lies , it's a lesson well taken. And then one other point struck me --- very rarely do you see films that have such strong female leads, and because of the push for equal time for women, this is an excellent example of this strive for equality. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. Possible Academy Award nominations, but not sure the film is for everyone. The R-rated scenes might put some off.
"THE FAVOURITE" 2018 1 hour and 59 mins R-rated
Amid the hornet's nest of rivalries and intrigue that define the court of mercurial Queen Anne in 18th-century England, cousins Abigail Masham and Sarah Churchill (Maubrey) battle to gain the favor of the monarch and her court.