The Favourite Review: 8 Ups & 1 Down

Ups...

8. Olivia Colman's Commanding Lead Performance

It was just a matter of time before an actress of Olivia Colman's enormous talents caught the attention of the Academy, and it's with good reason that her performance as Queen Anne has made her an Oscar front-runner alongside Lady Gaga for A Star is Born.

If the trailers suggested that Colman's Queen might be a fairly one-dimensional portrayal comprised mostly of comical shouting and wailing, the script and Colman's performance ensure that's far from the truth.

Though much of Anne's evident mental health issues are played for laughs throughout the film, there's also a thick layer of sadness underneath which rises to the surface later in the film.

Colman manages to make Anne at once terrifying, hilarious and pitiable, transforming a potential caricature into something more well-rounded and human. If she wins the Best Actress Oscar, it'll be with damn fine reason.