The Favorite

This movie seemingly has everything I love in a good historical movie:  great costumes, fantastic sets, stellar acting,interesting  plot, intrigues and crisp writing.  And yet, I can not give this movie a golden apple.  Let’s start with what ‘s good.  The three main actresses pull off an acting coup. Olivia Coleman is spot-on as dumpy nearsighted English Queen Anne, who lets her favorites dictate her political decisions.  Rachel Weisz is equally compelling as the Queen’s long time favorite, Sarah Churchill (Winston’s grandmother), the Duchess of Marlborough.  She schemes to stay in favor and control of the monarch, and is deliciously ruthless.  Emma Stone shows surprising depth (to me anyway) as Sarah’s cousin, a down on her luck aristocrat who ditches her morals, but gains the Queen’s ear.  Everything is very satirical and tongue in cheek, with delightful bitchy dialogue.   The decadence of the last Stewart court and the conniving and back stabbing is delicous to watch.  However, I didn’t enjoy the way the movie plays fast and loose with historical facts.  Queen Anne is given to hedonistic escapades that probably have no basis in facts.  I found that whole aspect of the film rather seedy and I am definitely no prude.  Queen Anne is portrayed as something of an imbecile, which also doesn’t seem to be based in fact either.  Many kings had their favorites and exchanged sex for favors, so I do not have a problem if that is what Queen Anne did, but I just don’t like the way her affairs are portrayed in the movie.  The other thing lacking in this movie is someone to root for.  There are definitely no heroes or heroines for that matter to root for.  Excpt maybe the rabbits.