In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne (Colman) occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah (Weisz) governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail (Stone) arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah.
I have always been an admirer of Yorgos Lanthimos and his courage of making whatever movie he seems fit. He has gained critical and not so much audience acclaim from movies such as “The Lobster” and “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” Personally, I have never been a fan of Lanthimos’ obscure stories but have always loved his filmmaking from a technical standpoint. Going into this one, I was excited to see a Lanthimos film that was not written by him (written by Tony McNamara and Deborah Davis) so maybe we would get a different film from him. Fortunately, for film lovers like me, this is Lanthimos’ most “normal” movie, but still has that strange tinge to it for the film lover who loves Lanthimos.
Lanthimos once again shows off his filmmaking talents with this obscure choice of cinematography he achieves with DP Robbie Ryan. There is a heavy presence of fish-eye lens and Go-Pro shots that are unlike the norm but feel like a breath of fresh air. There are multiple moments of camera longshots with 180 degree quick pans and slow pan ins that are truly magnificent. He also puts fade-ins for transitions like it was film noir in the ’40s. Lanthimos has always gotten great performances from his actors and we get that for the most part with the stars Emma Stone, Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, and Nicholas Hoult. Pulling off a character based in 18th century England is difficult enough but also one through the voice of Lanthimos is even more difficult. Stone and others are great in the film but also fall into being caricatures of their characters at times during the film which can take you out of the movie. Nonetheless, you are greeted with great performances throughout this just under two-hour runtime.
McNamara and Davis’ script is on the fringe with me. The story is based in a time where England is at war with France but at the forefront is war between Abigail (Stone) and Sarah (Weisz) for the loyalty of Queen Anne (Colman). There are many comedic moments that hit for me and some that don’t mostly because it felt over the top. The general story is engaging but for the most part, it is a bit over grandiose. I found myself sometimes liking the way the film was over the top and sometimes where it took me out of the film.
To put on a bow on this, the film will be in the wheelhouse for those who have loved Lanthimos’ films in the past. Great filmmaking you normally get from him and great costumes and set design. The performances and overall story are great, for the most part, but can sometimes be a bit much for me, personally. For those who have shunned Lanthimos’ films in the past, this may be the one for you.
Now available on Digital HD and on Blu-ray & DVD March 5th
