“All three members of the main trio are at their best, but it’s Colman who most deserves a coronation. One of the most consistently excellent actresses working today, she brings depth and dimension to a character who so easily could have been an unsympathetic joke. A queen in name only who’s ceded most of her power to her trusted advisor, Anne has no real knowledge of her thrall and desires only to be placated and humored by her underlings. A kingdom cannot thrive in such conditions, of course, but it can persist so long as the hoi polloi is kept at bay and the inner workings are kept secret from those who would revolt if they knew the truth.
Lanthimos wants us to examine the different reasons we grasp at power — avarice, self-preservation, even fear — and better understand its corrosive effects. “Some wounds do not close,” Anne says at a crucial moment. “I have many such.” The more ridiculous she becomes, the more tragic a figure she strikes. Ditto “The Favourite” itself.”
‘The Favourite’ Review: Yorgos Lanthimos’ Royal Drama Is His Crowning Achievement — Venice
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