With 10 nominations, Yórgos Lánthimos' film emerges as the Oscar favorite. The director of The Lobster ( Jury Prize at Cannes ) signs here his first historical film: The Favorite .
The object of his study? A threesome in the Queen's apartments with the trio of actresses Rachel Weisz , Emma Stone and Olivia Colman . A lesbian rivalry against a backdrop of betrayals, poisons and political strategy around the last of the Stuarts line . Great art!
Once upon a time...
Subscribed to miscarriages and the disappearance of the beings she loves, Queen Anne 's health is as fragile as her mood is capricious. It is his very dear friend, the beautiful and brilliant Lady Sarah , who actually governs in her place, in the midst of conflict with France .
When a new maid, Abigail Hill , arrives at court, Lady Sarah takes her under her wing, thinking of making her an ally. But Abigail prefers to take advantage of this new status with the Queen to reconnect with her aristocratic roots.
While the political stakes of the war absorb Sarah, Abigail takes the opportunity to gain Anne's confidence and desire ... The opportunity for the ambitious little girl to satisfy her desires for power.
On the way to the Oscars
Attention masterpiece! Behind the intrigues at the English court and the games of gambettes in the air looms a fable about power with highly feminine heroes.
“ When making a historical film, it is always fascinating to see how it can resonate with our times; we realize that not much has changed except the costumes and the fact that we have electricity or the Internet. So many similarities persist in our ways of being, in our societies and in our relationship to power, ”explains Yórgos Lánthimos .
A highly disruptive biopic
Far from clichés and clichés on historical films , Yorgo Lanthimos does not hesitate to break the codes of the genre, starting with its brilliant structure: hyper-rhythmic chapters, with derisory titles: This mud stinks , An amazing outfit ...
Behind a bedroom farce in which he conjures up a humor that flirts with the ostentatious , exuberant costumes , sumptuous sets and baroque dialogues , the metaphysical problems stand out. The weight of power , the difficulty of governing , the stakes of love , the games of seduction . The director allows himself everything to give relief to his characters.
The Favorite. In theaters February 6.
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