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"The Weirdest Film I've Ever Seen": What People Are Saying About The Favourite

Photo: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Thanks to Olivia Colman's Golden Globes win on Sunday and its domination of the BAFTA nominations on Wednesday, The Favourite is rapidly becoming one of awards season's most talked-about movies. This is definitely A Good Thing. After all, how many high-profile films give intriguing, three-dimensional roles to three fantastic actresses?
Colman plays Queen Anne, an 18th century monarch we rarely hear very much about, who suffers from poor health and a lack of faith in her own judgement. Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone co-star as Sarah Churchill and Abigail Marsham, two courtiers competing for a place in Queen Anne's bedroom, and all the power and influence this brings.
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"In films about women, they can be reduced to one note and what is wonderful about this film is that they're [all] textured and complex, serious but quite ridiculous and dangerous,' Weisz told Sky News recently. "The queen is regal and like a big toddler, throwing her toys out of the pram. All three women are complex and textured, as we are all contradictory."
But because of its classy cast – Colman is practically a national treasure at this stage – and awards season success, it's easy to assume The Favourite is a more conventional film than it actually is. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, who previously made super-weird The Lobster and super-dark The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Favourite is definitely not your usual starchy period drama. It's deliciously dark and subversive, very funny in places, and not particularly concerned with historical accuracy. (It's been widely reported that, according to historians, whether these three women were really involved in a sexual love triangle is very much open to interpretation).
But whatever your take on The Favourite, it’s hard to deny this film is an experience, as these reactions people have shared on Twitter make clear.
The Favourite is in cinemas now – and if you haven’t seen it yet, prepare yourself for some serious lolz involving the word “badger”.

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