"The Favourite"

Another film which is supposed to be a comedy that I didn't find very funny.  It's a very good film, and worth watching, but mostly I found it to just be sad.  There is Lady Sarah, a complicated woman navigating a difficult time period for women.  There is Queen Anne, a sad, sick woman who only wants to be loved.  And there is Abigail, a woman who has lost much and is determined to get it back.  The whole thing is very "Liaison Dangereuse," which, if you remember, had a certain number of peccadilloes but ended badly for pretty much everyone.  Dialogue is fast and furious and the jibes contained within is where you find the humor, but don't blink.  The setting is lush and the filming adds to the narrative in an interesting way.  Fish-eye lenses are used in several instances either to show how the world is closing in on a character or how a given character lives in their own little bubble.  It's a bit direct but it works.  Without giving away any of the plot I found this film to be quite satisfying although, in the end, it speaks to loss rather than laughs.  I was impressed by Rachel Weisz and found her to be a powerful presence.  Her key line, which resonated for me, was "We are playing entirely different games, you and I".  It was typical of the character, who evidenced power even when that power was usurped.  Olivia Colman was equally compelling as a woman who craves everything and yet still feels empty.  I look forward to seeing her work in "The Crown" later this year, as she has become the older version of Queen Elizabeth II after Claire Foy.  My only minor issue was with costuming, which appeared interesting at first only to resort to a kind of similarity from one outfit to the next.  The biggest change was when one character's dress went from the blue everyone was wearing to black, presumably to show her turn to the dark side.  Maybe they blew their budget on hair and wigs?  BTW, of all the "historical" films this year, this one appears to be the most accurate.  Yes, much of this (although not all of it) really did happen.  That's something.  Enjoy.  The Queen commands it.  (PS worst movie poster ever ...)