I Dreamt I Stabbed You in the Eye

The Favourite (2018)

does anyone else ever go see a movie and the previews start and they just don’t seem like movies you would ever want to see? like they’re in a foreign language? or in outer space? or feature a serial killer? and then you start to worry that you’re in the wrong theater? or that you’ve agreed to see a movie that you’ll hate? no? just me?

well, that’s how I felt about 5 minutes into the previews last week.

thankfully I stayed, because The Favourite was fantastic — quick, witty, historically accurate-ish, badass women, and bunnies. however, and this may be unimportant, but I found it hard to root for any of the characters. I don’t know about other people, but I like to have someone to cheer for in movies/books/tv shows/life. I need a good guy. and in this movie, who is it? is there one? they all have their moments, but it feels hard to pick. warning: spoilers below.

Abigail (Emma Stone) steals your heart right away when she falls (gets pushed) out of a carriage. she’s charming, funny, smart, and conniving as hell. but she almost crushes a bunny under her foot, and for this reason, I’m out. next.

Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz) is warm, caring, intense, and quite an impressive shot. her wardrobe is insane, she looks awesome on a horse, and she pulls off a gross scar surprisingly well. (#goals right?) but she is devious, power hungry, and a tad shallow. moving along.

Queen Anne (Olivia Colman) is quirky, an animal lover (those bunnies), and desperate for attention (read: relatable). she’s also terribly fickle, horribly indecisive, and easily manipulated. not really much here either.

the three of them form this intense triangle of love, manipulation, and a struggle for power. their relationships become so weaved together, they are hard to separate. Abigail’s love, which appears innocent and sweet on the surface, is rooted in lies. Sarah, who at times seems to be the most caring and honest of them all, is really in it for fame and fortune. the Queen, at the end of the day, just wants to be loved and adored.

they exemplify the range of very real feelings we have towards the women in our lives — amusement, fear, love, admiration. vaguely likable each in their own way, but deeply flawed all the same.

what starts as a laugh out loud comedy, The Favourite lasts just long enough to devolve into tragedy. in the end, “we were playing very different games”.

lgf.