The Favourite (2018), directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Funny, sad and moving, based on real events and making good use of the salty language and behaviour of the times, The Favourite is thoroughly entertaining until the ending, which is bizarre and mystifying. Old, ill and under the thumb of her oldest and closest friend, Lady Sarah, Queen Anne is a pitiable figure, often pathetic but occasionally demonstrating that she remembers who is ultimately in charge. The relationships are complex – there is no doubt that Sarah loves the Queen, but she takes her power for granted and abuses it. Lady Sarah’s distant cousin Abigail is young and desperate after falling on hard times; her duplicity and grab for power are understandable, her rapid descent to cruelty somewhat less so. The political intrigue and power struggles of the court are intertwined with the personal power games of the Queen’s favourites and are often depicted as absurd and extreme. The three leads – Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone - are amazing and deserve their awards nominations. Nicholas Hoult is delicious as the leader of the opposition. It is refreshing to see the men as peripheral to the main action, although still presented as fully drawn characters. The look and feel of the film is rich and sumptuous, with really interesting use of colour and music. The make-up is also outstanding, accurately reflecting the times when male presentation was far more full-on than female. It is a pity about the strange finale to what is otherwise an absorbing, witty, surprising and moving film.