The Favorite | Teen Ink

The Favorite

September 3, 2019
By MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
MovieReviewer_18 ELITE, Short Hills, New Jersey
678 articles 0 photos 8 comments

 The Favorite proves to be a surprisingly dark movie detailing what life was like in England in the past, while also highlighting the nature of some of the characters that still remains accurate in this day and age to still describe plenty of modern figures. Taking place in England during the early 18th century, the country is going through a difficult time. England is at war with France, causing many of the ordinary people to struggle, but despite all of this, the queen and the elite still live luxurious lives. Inside of the queen's castle there are still plenty of her fan-favorite activities, like duck racing, pineapple eating and eating an excessive amount. Meanwhile, all of these problems seem to be stemming from Queen Anne, who currently occupies the throne but doesn't always have her head where it's needed. Anne isn't healthy, she is very peculiar about her likes and dislikes, and her temper can't always be controlled. Because of this, her very close and dear friend, Lady Sarah, does everything with and for the queen, and she's practically the one governing the country, while also taking care of the queen, who needs more attention than most. However, things get more complicated when a new servant, Abigail, is welcomed by Lady Sarah to help out both her and the queen. Abigail used to be a lady, but her family fell on harsh times, and with them, she lost the power and title of a lady to only become a servant. As Abigail spends more time with the queen, she soon shows her charismatic charm, which the queen quickly falls in love with and begins to care for. With Lady Sarah taking her under her wing to show her how to become strong and mighty, Abigail sees a chance to regain her title and return to being a part of her aristocratic past. 

 The Favorite is a mostly enjoyable movie that has plenty to offer, including its dramatic politics, realistic characters, and enough unpredictability to make things exciting. While things start off rocky, mostly because of how painstakingly slow the introduction is, the plot and story are both quickly jump-started by a few truly inciting incidents. Due to a few crucial revelations, the movie progresses along pretty magnificently without there ever being any real bumps or issues, and as things progress and develop, the story itself becomes that much more substantial and meaningful. Although the middle portion of the movie does a great job of fleshing out the characters, and making them that much more charming and appealing, the conclusion of the movie somewhat gets rid of all of this progress. While the enticing ending of the movie manages to wrap up most loose ends, and answer plenty of important questions, the actual conclusion of the movie doesn't leave all viewers feeling satisfied. Even though some find the relative twist at the end to be sophisticated and enjoy the deeper meaning, for others it doesn't really give the movie much of a purpose and just causes more confusion than necessary. 

 The Favorite greatly benefits from having plenty of thrilling turns that come at seemingly every inch and corner to ensure that viewers truly have no idea what's going to come next. While the movie is far from being a mystery, the hidden mysteries of the movie allow the plot to suck and captivate audiences into it, as they eagerly await what's about to happen in the upcoming moments. 

 The Favorite may not be for everyone, especially due to its unique style and storytelling methods, but it should arouse enough intrigue to make watching it worthwhile. Although the ambiguity of the ending is certainly not for everyone, the movie, as a whole, has enough good qualities to outweigh the bad. Highlighted by a few extraordinary performances from Emma Stone's Abigail Masham and Rachel Weisz's Lady Sarah, as well as Olivia Colman's Queen Anne, the movie is able to bring out the best in its bold concepts and ideas and transport audiences to 18th century England. This movie may not be a must-see, but it should at least be given a chance so that audiences can formulate their own opinions. 


The author's comments:

"Sometimes a lady likes to have some fun." - Lady Sarah


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