The Favourite

In the court of British Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), Lady Churchill (Rachel Weisz) and her lowly cousin Abigail (Emma Stone) conduct a battle of wits to become the ailing Queen's favorite, ensuring wealth, prestige and power.

I enjoyed the other movies directed by Lanthimos that I've seen (Dogtooth, The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer), but he strikes new ground here, turning in his most accessible movie to date and perhaps his most polished. There are shades of Kubrick in the editing and cinematography, both of which are excellent. The use of natural light and distorted lenses is visually interesting. The costumes are also top notch, as one would expect from a period piece.

The performances are the main event, with all three women turning in at or near career bests. Colman won the Best Actress Oscar, but her's is the most in line with a supporting turn, as the film is told from the points-of-view of Weisz and Stone. Their increasingly nasty one upmanship is hilarious. Lanthimos throws in some anachronistic touches (the dance scene is very amusing), the dialogue is sharp as a dagger, and the film isn't afraid to go grotesque. Recommended.