Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Favourite' Earns 10 Oscar Nominations

Yorgos Lanthimos' film 'The Favourite' arrived in Italian theaters on January 24, 2019, earning ten Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Costume Design. Set in 18th-century England during a war with France, the film centers on Queen Anne (Olivia Colman), whose fragility symbolizes an impotent monarchy. Lady Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) serves as the queen's confidante and influencer, until the arrival of Abigail Masham (Emma Stone), a fallen aristocrat determined to climb the social ladder. The film's visual style features grand cinematography, claustrophobic wide-angle shots, and anachronistic elements reminiscent of Sofia Coppola's 'Marie Antoinette.' The queen's childish and capricious character draws parallels to Donald Trump. The narrative explores domination, sensuality, and sexuality, with characters alternating between victim and perpetrator. Despite its strengths, the screenplay has gaps that maintain tension without catharsis, and some animal violence scenes feel gratuitous. Lanthimos' nihilistic perspective offers no winners, only losers.