By Robert Yaniz Jr.

DAY 10 OF THE 2018 HOLIDAY BINGE

Yorgos Lanthimos is up to his mischievous tricks again in another darkly hilarious, twisted tale.

THE HYPE

Ever seen Dogtooth or Alps? Okay, that is perhaps a bit more obscure for casual moviegoers. What about The Lobster or last year’s The Killing of a Sacred Deer? This is all a long way of saying that viewers not initiated in the storytelling ways of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos might want to study up before sitting down to take in his latest project, The Favourite. The film — which stars Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz — is perhaps the purest, most effective distillation yet of Lanthimos’ peculiar sensibility.

THE STORY

At first glance, The Favourite may appear to be just another costume-heavy period drama, but that’s precisely how it fools you. It wears those billowing gowns to hide its wicked sense of humor and many, many plot twists. The story revolves around 18-century British leader, Queen Anne (Colman), and the rivalry that emerges between her longtime friend and confidant the Duchess of Marlborough (Weisz) and new arrival Abigail (Stone). That’s about as in-depth as one needs to know to get the gist of the film’s plot, for its delicious, narrative tendrils as best experienced first-hand.

THE CAST

Much of the conversation surrounding The Favourite has centered on its trio of lead performances (depending on who you ask, all three actresses have been alternating between lead and supporting designations). Lanthimos has really nailed down an effective way to coax the very best out of his stars. Colman perhaps has the best chance of walking away with a little gold statuette early next year, but Stone deserves high marks for embracing a darker role that eschews her typical onscreen persona. As usual, Weisz is flawless.

THE PRODUCTION

And yet, the meticulous writing of The Favourite still manages to stand out amid the wry, complex work being done by Colman, Stone and Weisz. How writers Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara weave in the expected political intrigue of a royal drama with a more modern look at sexuality and the power dynamics that go along with it is truly impressive. Much of the credit also goes to the costume design by Sandy Powell and the production design by Fiona Crombie, which lends authenticity to Lanthimos’ nastier instincts.

THE VERDICT

Critics calling The Favourite Lanthimos’ best film might be on to something. The filmmaker pulls off a sort of cinematic magic trick here by seamlessly blending genres and delivering an end result that feels like a unified piece rather than a disjointed amalgamation. If there’s any justice in the upcoming awards season, Lanthimos and his team will find themselves at the podium in the very near future. That is, if the Academy and other groups are willing to embrace his idiosyncratic style for the original vision it truly is.

The Favourite stars Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Olivia Colman and Nicholas Hoult and is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.