The Favourite Review: 8 Ups & 1 Down
Down...
1. It's A Little Too Restrained
It's worth noting that this is the first of Lanthimos' four major works not to also be co-written by him, and it certainly shows in the end product.
Working from a script written by others - Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara - has a noted impact on the tone of his film, which is surprisingly far away from the bleaker tenor of his prior films.
As such, Lanthimos' fans might be ever-so-slightly disappointed that The Favourite is a much sillier and broader film than anything he's made before.
That's not to say it isn't bleak - because it absolutely is - but there's a lesser commitment to a consistently grim vision in favour of something decidedly lighter and easier to digest.
That this is set to result in the strongest box office and reviews of Lanthimos' career isn't terribly surprising, but a slight shame given the utterly uncompromising quality of Dogtooth, The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer.
The Favourite is a looser and more conservative effort, if still outstanding on its own merits.
And now, here's everything that makes The Favourite well worth seeing...