The Favourite
Short description
In early 18th-century England, the country is at war with France while a frail and temperamental Queen Anne sits on the throne. Real power rests with her close friend Lady Sarah, who manages both the government and the queen's household. Into this world arrives Abigail, a fallen aristocrat and Sarah's cousin, initially set to work in the kitchens. When Abigail finds a way to ease the queen's gout, Sarah takes her on as a servant, and Abigail sees a chance to reclaim the standing her family lost. As Sarah's attention is consumed by politics, Abigail grows closer to Anne, and the two women become locked in a rivalry for the queen's favour.
Yorgos Lanthimos directed from a screenplay by Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis, with Ed Guiney, Lanthimos and Ceci Dempsey producing. It is the eighth feature in his directing filmography, following The Killing of a Sacred Deer, and reunites elements of his later work with Emma Stone, who plays Abigail. Olivia Colman is Queen Anne and Rachel Weisz is Lady Sarah, with Nicholas Hoult as Harley, Joe Alwyn as Masham and Mark Gatiss as Lord Marlborough. The production involved 63 credited cast and 137 credited crew members and cost 15 million USD.
Released on 23 November 2018 and running 120 minutes, the film took 96 million USD worldwide, a large return on its budget. On IMDb it holds 7.5/10 from 257,000 votes and on TMDB 7.5/10 from 6,053 votes. A critics' rating of 8.5/10 from 430 reviews places it clearly above those audience scores.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film was shot at Hatfield House, a frequent filming location. For example, Bruce Wayne resided there in "Batman" and "Batman Begins." It served as the Getty home in "All the Money in the World" and the series "Trust." The recognizable interiors of "The Favourite" can also be seen in Robbie Williams’ music video "Party Like a Russian."
- Abigail entered the service of Queen Anne Stuart in 1704, but the Queen's husband – Prince George of Denmark, who died in 1708 – is not mentioned in the film. His death, as well as the death of their children, was one of the causes of Anne's depression.
- The script was originally titled "Balance of Power" and was written by debutante Deborah Davis in 1998, but the text had to wait twenty years for its moment, as producers were skeptical of the historical plot about a female love triangle without key male roles at the time. Lanthimos joined the project after the success of "Dogtooth," but asked television screenwriter Tony McNamara to update the script, removing the historical details about politics.
- Lanthimos and the film's production designers allowed themselves many anachronisms in the shots—for example, a special wheelchair for the Queen, which did not exist at the time.
- Kate Winslet was initially cast in the lead role, but was later replaced by Rachel Weisz.
- To perfect her British accent, American Emma Stone practiced it in public places until even Englishwoman Rachel Weisz acknowledged her accent as more authentic than her own. Stone particularly enjoyed the expletive 'cunt' in the script, which is considered very rude in American culture but is much more commonplace in Britain.
- Olivia Colman gained approximately 16 kilograms for the role of Queen Anne Stuart.
- It is believed that the leading role belongs to Olivia Colman, but this is merely a bureaucratic formality. The plot is structured so that each heroine gradually comes to the forefront. However, according to the "Oscar" rules, only one actress can be submitted for the "Best Actress" nomination from a film. Since Colman received the acting prize at the Venice Film Festival, the decision was made to nominate her, while Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz would be submitted in the supporting categories. As a result, "The Favourite" became the second (after "The Color Purple") film in history with 10 "Oscar" nominations, featuring three actresses and no actors.
- The film was shot on film with natural lighting; only in the dance scene was a little additional light added to the candles.
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