'The Favourite' (15)

***/**** (3.5 stars)

In the early 18th century, England as at war with France. In the Royal Palace, however, a much more dangerous battle is unfolding as two women vie for the affections of a frail Queen Anne.

I like a clever film. I like quirky films, and unusual films and films that would be described as 'art house'. I appreciate that as much as a swirl of paint on canvas is a piece of art, a film can be one too. I enjoy being tested, educated and shocked by a film as much as I like to be entertained by one, and I like to think I don't confine my viewing experience to just one type of film. 

Described as shocking, acerbic (a word that I shall now use all the time!) and heralded with a plethora of five star reviews, The Favourite certainly piqued my interest. Well, I was left wondering if I was missing something - was I not clever enough to find it as amazing as the work of other critics had led me believe? Do I just not appreciate art or cinematic mastery? Upon leaving the cinema, not only did I feel somewhat underwhelmed, but as though I was some kind of uneducated heathen. The trouble is, Yorgos Lanthimos' latest is trying to be clever for its own good. From the wide angle lens, to the strange, pivoting camera rotations, unusual typeface and chapter-based narrative, it all just seems a bit much. I also object to the use of the C-word, which, although effective in minimal use, is repeated again and again until it becomes powerless.

What is there to enjoy in a film that seems determined to alienate its audience then? The answer is undoubtedly in the three central characters and the three brilliant actresses who assume the roles. Each vulnerable, likable, hateful, wise and weak in their own way, our central trio are a force to be reckoned with, and each actress perfectly cast. Having already collected her Golden Globe for her multi-faceted, at-times-heartbreaking-at-times-infuriating portrayal of Queen Anne, it seems almost certain that Olivia Coleman will ascend into acting royalty. Plagued by physical ailments and haunted by the passing of seventeen children, Coleman's Anne is as pitiful as she is enraging - her performance hits all the right notes. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone complete the trio (or should that be, love triangle?) in similarly outstanding form, their respective characters being both slippery and endearing in equal measure. It's in the moments between these characters that the engagement can be found - the humour, the tragedy and the surprises. For me, the film was at its strongest when it focused on the relationships between these three women and the vagaries of their personalities. Nicholas Hoult should also be commended for his humorous portrayal of the bewigged Harley.  

I have seen reviews where people got up and left, and I have seen critics reap plaudits upon the film too - as for me, I didn't experience either end of the spectrum, but somewhere very much in the middle. For all that there is to applaud in The Favourite, I can't escape the idea that it was attempting to be overly pompous and arrogant in its execution, which resulted in an ultimately frustrating viewing experience.