Along with Mexican foreign language film Roma, The Favourite leads this year’s Oscar nominees with ten total nods. It will, therefore, be a contender at this year’s Academy Awards–even though it hasn’t performed super well so far at other major awards shows, finding itself completely shut out at the SAG Awards, despite boasting a pretty strong cast, and nabbing only one Golden Globe: Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for Olivia Colman as Queen Anne.
While the lack of hardware might upset The Favourite‘s numerous fans, I’m certainly not crying about this film’s lack of awards memorabilia–nor do I in the least number myself with those who gush about the greatness of this film. It is, frankly, trash.
A couple of positives before I dip my hands into the manure pile that is this film…the costumes are rather lovely (if a bit repetitive), and the acting is pretty solid overall. The art direction and set design are good, and I suppose the plot is interesting, but it is so mired in historical inaccuracies and overt sexuality that it’s difficult to get into the story.
And that brings us to the negatives of the film. First, I don’t understand how people can rave about the script of this film as it is riddled with profanity (which is unnecessary and, again, completely inconsistent with the time of its setting). Second, sex, sex, and more sex. I still don’t know how our featured British aristocrats manage to carry on a war with France in the film when all they think and talk about is sex. Constantly. Third, last year Hollywood was screaming for more roles featuring empowered women, and I think many believe they have received their wish with this film. However, while The Favourite boasts three striking female lead characters, their behavior in the film is extremely degrading to women. Their thirst for power is almost as revolting as the lengths they go to in order to obtain and retain it: plots which usually involve manipulations of a sexual nature. Isn’t the portrayal of women using their sexuality to get what they want one of the main complaints Hollywood (and all the rest of the world) has had about female roles in film? I just don’t get it.
Why This Film Might Win BP:
People are calling The Favourite witty and clever. Maybe for those whose vocabulary mostly includes sexual innuendo and the f-word. People who ignore the rich variety of the English language might feel this film is deserving of the Academy’s highest honor, but I disagree. Sometimes I think that all a film needs to do to win big awards these days is to dress its actors up in expensive period costumes, place them in front of old castles, teach them to speak with British accents–and make them take their fancy clothes off frequently while spouting off the f-word approximately every few minutes or so. The Favourite does all these things, so who knows? It could definitely win.
Why This Film Might Not Win BP:
Other than the fact that it’s horrible, this movie is also tragic. Well, the film itself isn’t overly sad (though it is by no means a comedy like the Golden Globes would have us believe), but it is appalling and upsetting that this is what our culture has come to value: smut. The story is dark with or without all the sexuality and profanity, and Academy voters just might want to choose something a little lighter. Furthermore, The Favourite‘s portrayal of powerful women as desperate, cold-hearted, and promiscuous might actually backfire and leave this film a big loser on Oscar night. I for one hope so.