The Favorite - intrigue and madness

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Movie
German title The Favorite - intrigue and madness
Original title The Favorite
Country of production United Kingdom , Ireland , USA
original language English
Publishing year 2018
length 120 minutes
Age rating FSK 12
Rod
Director Giorgos Lanthimos
script Deborah Davis ,
Tony McNamara
production Ceci Dempsey ,
Ed Guiney ,
Giorgos Lanthimos,
Lee Magiday
camera Robbie Ryan
cut Yorgos Mavropsaridis
occupation
synchronization

The Favorite - intrigue and madness (AKA The Favorite ) is a historical film by Yorgos Lanthimos , the English Queen Anne portrayed and in the context of the August 30, 2018 Film Festival of Venice had its world premiere. In September 2018, the film also opened the New York Film Festival . It was released in the US on November 23, 2018 and in theaters in the UK on January 1, 2019.

action

The English royal court in the early 18th century was marked by intrigue, envy and betrayal. England is in the War of the Spanish Succession against the French, and on the throne sits a frail Queen Anne who suffers from regular attacks of gout. Her closest confidante and advisor is Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough and wife of the successful English military leader. She tells the queen what to do, effectively ruling the country from the sidelines. The opposition leader Robert Harley, Earl of Oxford and Earl Mortimer , who, among other things, wants to prevent the tax increase planned for the continuation of the war, stands in her way .

Sarah takes her impoverished younger cousin Abigail Hill under her wing after they arrive at the castle. Abigail's father, a member of the Marlborough family, had not only gambled away his good name; he also had to give his daughter to a creditor to pay off his debts. Abigail grew up there as a maid. Abigail initially does menial work in the castle. But after she has given the queen relief for her inflamed legs with a herb that she had collected herself in the forest, Sarah made her maid and further encouraged her. From now on, the two cousins ​​prefer to hold their conversations while shooting pigeons in front of the castle.

Abigail, now closer to the queen, gradually realizes how much she is being manipulated by her closest confidante Sarah. Sarah also helps decide how the English budget is used and cleverly prevents anyone else from bothering the Queen with political questions. But Anne often has a will of her own. When Abigail learns by chance that Sarah and the Queen are more than just friends, that they often share the bed and that they call themselves Mrs. Freeman and Mrs. Morley when they are alone, she begins to plan her own advancement. As the politics of war become quite time-consuming for Sarah, Abigail jumps into the breach to accompany the queen in everyday life. Abigail is very sensitive and empathetic towards the queen. She quickly learns of the many strokes of fate that have befallen the queen, such as 17 children whom she lost in the course of her life and after whom she has named her 17 rabbits. Abigail flatters her and soon replaces Sarah in her bed. Sarah sees her position threatened and dismisses her cousin, but the Queen immediately appoints her as her maid.

The queen loves to watch the two women fight for her. Through the budding friendship with her, Abigail has already come closer to her goal of rising up again in the aristocracy. Due to poisoning, she causes Sarah to have a riding accident and uses the opportunity, with the blessing of the Queen, to marry the courtier Samuel Masham, who has been courting her for a while, while Sarah is absent. When Sarah returns, marked by the scars from her accident, she warns the Queen about Abigail. Since the queen does not want to be manipulated this time, Sarah threatens to leak the correspondence with spicy details about their mutual love life to the public. The consequence of the blackmail attempt, however, is that the queen banishes her long-time confidante, to whom she once wanted to give a castle, from the court. In her last conversation, Sarah describes it as love that she has always told her queen the truth over the years.

Now that Abigail is whispering in the queen's ear, Harley is the new prime minister who should work for peace with France. Abigail tries by all means to prevent Sarah from returning to court. She intercepts the letters with which Sarah tries to regain the lost trust of the queen and burns them. Abigail herself not only loses her charm, but also her interest in the now terminally ill queen.

production

Lanthimos3.jpg
Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos
Hatfield House.jpg
Much of the filming took place in Hatfield House , Hertfordshire place

Directed by Giorgos Lanthimos . The story and the script for the film was written by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara .

Olivia Colman plays Queen Anne and Oscar winner Rachel Weisz plays her confidante Sarah Churchill . Weisz had replaced Kate Winslet , who was originally intended for the role. For both Weisz and Colman, after The Lobster, this is the second Lanthimos film in which they were given a role. Nicholas Hoult , who was in front of the camera with Weisz for the filming of About a Boy , plays the politician Robert Harley . Oscar winner Emma Stone took on the role of Abigail Masham.

Filming began in March 2017 at Hatfield House in Hertfordshire . At the end of April 2017 they took place at Knole House and Knole Park in Sevenoaks , Kent , England . Filming was finished in May 2017. Sandy Powell was responsible for the design of the costumes .

A first trailer was presented in July 2018. The film premiered on August 30, 2018 as part of the Venice Film Festival , where it was shown in the main competition and was nominated for the Golden Lion , which it did not win. The Favorite opened the New York Film Festival in September 2018 and was shown as a centerpiece at the London Film Festival in October 2018 . In autumn 2018 it was shown at the Hamburg Film Festival and the Zurich Film Festival . In October and November 2018 it was shown at the Viennale . It was also presented at the Tokyo International Film Festival around this time . The Favorite was released in select US theaters on November 23, 2018 and in cinemas in the UK on January 1, 2019. The cinema release in Germany was on January 24, 2019. At the end of August and beginning of September 2019 it will be presented at the Festival of German Films .

The soundtrack for the film, which contains pieces of music primarily by Franz Schubert (2nd movement from the piano sonata D 960), but also by Georg Friedrich Händel , Antonio Vivaldi , Anna Meredith and Johann Sebastian Bach , was released by Decca Records at the beginning of January 2019 published as download. A CD is to follow.

reception

Age rating

In the USA, the film received an R rating from the MPAA , which corresponds to a rating of 17 and over. In Germany, the film was approved for ages 12 and up . The statement of reasons for the release states: “The chamber play-like film shows a society that is characterized by intrigue and devious power games. Sometimes the characters behave in a bizarre and amusing way, which softens the events. Children aged 12 and over can follow the story and place the immoral behaviors in the historical context. There is no reference to the reality of life for today's young people, so that a socio-ethical disorientation effect can be ruled out. "

Reviews and grossing results

So far, the film has received the approval of 93 percent of all Rotten Tomatoes critics and achieved a rating of 8.5 out of a possible 10 points. It is also in the top 10 of the best LGBT films of all time and came second in the Best-Reviewed Comedies 2018 category at the 20th Annual Golden Tomato Awards .

Queen Anne and her son William, the Duke of Gloucester

Owen Gleiberman of Variety says The Favorite is a film like a perfectly cut diamond and a mixture of Barry Lyndon and Dangerous Liaisons . But although Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone played ruthless rivals, none of the characters are driven by sheer malice, according to Gleiberman, they only use their claws to survive and gain a position in a society that does them no favors. They are like characters from the works of Jane Austen , whose ambition to become a killer instinct has been increased. About the character of Queen Anne, who plays Olivia Colman as an incompetent monarch, Gleiberman says that she is a being that consists of hanging, but still living flesh and that suffers from extreme mood swings. But Colman, who like Melissa McCarthy is an actress for tragicomic roles, somehow merges these moods into a majestic, lively presence, according to Gleiberman.

Katja Nicodemus from Zeit Online calls The Favorite a great picture of decadence , and every time the film has reached a level of malevolence that can supposedly no longer be increased, an even worse scene casually follows: “A politically unpredictable one with too much power, with the Infantile head of state playing war, surrounded by favoritism and sex extortion - one could shudder at how little historical Giorgos Lanthimos ' prelude to the endgames of the present appears. "

Patrick Seyboth from epd Film thinks that Lanthimos is staging these dangerous love affairs at the highest national level in a brilliant style and toxic in terms of content. At the same time, he neatly embeds it in the historical context of the war with France. Compared to the hermetic films of his works Dogtooth , Alpen , The Lobster and The Killing of a Sacred Deer , The Favorite appears much more accessible, Seyboth continues, and what he may lose in suggestive fascination, he gains in dynamism and wit: “Lanthimos The depiction of the royal court is merely exaggerated slightly, but with relish, into the grotesque, and in terms of opulence it has everything a viewer's heart desires with such a material. ”Seyboth particularly highlights the splendid, detailed sets by Fiona Crombie and the costumes by Oscar winner Sandy Powell , but also the camera work by Robbie Ryan . Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz gave the characters they portrayed credibility and depth, but their performance was surpassed by Olivia Colman's Oscar-worthy performance as Queen Anne, who gave this weak, often dumb and ridiculous regent remarkable human dignity, according to Seyboth.

The German Film and Media Assessment gave the film the rating of particularly valuable . In the jury's statement: “The films by the Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos are not exactly known for their easy accessibility or too many concessions to the mainstream. But the co-founder and mastermind of the New Greek Wave can do it differently and brings his first historical costume film to the screen with The Favorite . The result is still miles away from the conventional monotony of historical material in the cinema and is therefore also suitable for an audience that is otherwise not interested in historical material. "

The film's worldwide revenue from theatrical screenings is nearly $ 96 million to date. The film recorded 232,398 visitors in Germany.

Use in school lessons

Vision Kino , an initiative for film and media education in schools, sees a possible use of film in the teaching subjects English, German , history, politics, social studies and ethics . Christian Horn sees the starting point for the educational work as the unusual aesthetic for a period film . The division into chapters and some shots by candlelight also remind Horn of Barry Lyndon , in whom Stanley Kubrick also dissected the noble court. The stylization and the partly modernized language detached the events from the historical context, Horn continues, and the changeable dynamics between the three protagonists offer material for a figure analysis: “An analysis of the intrigues can show how personal vanities help determine political decisions - and one Stimulate discussion about the extent to which this is still the case today. "

Awards (selection)

From the American Film Institute was The Favorite in the top 10 included the films of the year 2018th Further awards and nominations follow.

Art Directors Guild Awards 2019

British Academy Film Awards 2019

British Independent Film Awards 2018

  • Award as Best British Independent Film
  • Award for Best Director (Giorgos Lanthimos)
  • Award for Best Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)
  • Award as Best Actress (Olivia Colman)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone)
  • Award for Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz)
  • Award for the best costumes
  • Award for the best casting
  • Award for the best camera
  • Award for the best make-up & hair design
  • Award for the best equipment

Costume Designers Guild Awards 2019

  • Award in the Period Film category

Critics' Choice Movie Awards 2019

Eddie Awards 2019

  • Award in the category Best Film Editing - Comedy or Musical (Yorgos Mavropsaridis)

European Film Award 2019

Golden Globe Awards 2019

Gotham Awards 2018

  • Nomination for best film
  • Nomination for Best Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)
  • Awarded the jury's special prize for the actress ensemble (Olivia Colman, Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz)
  • Nomination for the audience award

Hollywood Film Awards 2018

  • Award for Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz)
  • Award for Best Costume (Sandy Powell)

Independent Spirit Awards 2019

Venice International Film Festival 2018

  • Nomination for the Golden Lion (Giorgos Lanthimos)
  • Awarded the Silver Lion (Giorgos Lanthimos)
  • Awarded the Coppa Volpi for Best Actress (Olivia Colman)
  • Nomination for the Queer Lion (Giorgos Lanthimos)

London Critics' Circle Film Awards 2019

Los Angeles Film Critics Association Awards 2018

National Society of Film Critics Awards 2019

  • Award as Best Actress (Olivia Colman)

Online Film Critics Society Awards 2019

Academy Awards 2019

Palm Springs International Film Festival 2019

  • Received the Desert Palm Achievement Award (Olivia Colman)

Producers Guild of America Awards 2019

Satellite Awards 2018

  • Nomination for best film - comedy or musical
  • Nomination for Best Director (Giorgos Lanthimos)
  • Nomination for Best Original Screenplay (Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara)
  • Nomination for Best Cinematography (Robbie Ryan)
  • Nomination in the Art Direction and Production Design category
  • Award for Best Costume (Sandy Powell)
  • Award as best actress (Olivia Colman)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Emma Stone)
  • Nomination for Best Supporting Actress (Rachel Weisz)
  • Award as best ensemble

Screen Actors Guild Awards 2019

synchronization

The German dubbing was based on the dialogue direction and a dialogue script by Axel Malzacher on behalf of Interopa Film GmbH, Berlin.

role actor Voice actor
Queen Anne Olivia Colman Arianne Borbach
Sarah Churchill Rachel Weisz Claudia Urbschat-Mingues
Abigail Masham Emma Stone Anja Stadlober
Robert Harley Nicholas Hoult Nicolás Artajo
Samuel Masham Joe Alwyn Amadeus Strobl
Marlborough Mark Gatiss Thomas Nero Wolff
Godolphin James Smith Bodo Wolf
Mae Jeanny Rainsford Anne Helm

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Release certificate for The Favorite - intrigue and madness . Voluntary self-regulation of the film industry (PDF; test number: 185057 / K). Template: FSK / maintenance / type not set and Par. 1 longer than 4 characters
  2. ↑ Ali Jaafar: Emma Stone & Olivia Colman In Talks To Board Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Favorite'. In: deadline.com, September 14, 2015.
  3. ^ Benjamin Lee: Rachel Weisz to replace Kate Winslet in Yorgos Lanthimos Queen Anne drama. In: The Guardian, October 16, 2015.
  4. ^ Justin Kroll: Colin Farrell to Star as Oliver North in Iran-Contra Series for Amazon. In: Variety, March 20, 2017.
  5. ↑ http://m.imdb.com/title/tt5083738/trivia?ref_=m_tt_trv_trv
  6. ↑ Kayti Burt: The Favorite, starring Emma Stone, wraps filming. In: denofgeek.com, May 16, 2017.
  7. ↑ The Favorite - First teaser for the new film from "The Lobster" director. In: movie-infos.net, July 10, 2018.
  8. ^ The Favorite. In: labiennale.org. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
  9. ↑ Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favorite Will Open NYFF56 In: filmlinc.org, July 23, 2018.
  10. ↑ 'The Favorite' to open New York Film Festival. In: business-standard.com, July 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Henry Chu: Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Favorite' to Be London Film Festival Centerpiece. In: Variety, August 9, 2018.
  12. ↑ Intrigue and betrayal: This is what awaits you at the Hamburg Film Festival !. In: tag24.de, August 28, 2018.
  13. ↑ Further Gala Premieres at ZFF. In: zff.com, September 5, 2018.
  14. ^ The Favorite. In: viennale.at. Retrieved October 21, 2018.
  15. ↑ Britt Hayes: Yorgos Lanthimos' 'The Favorite' Sets Awards Season Release. In: screencrush.com, April 20, 2018.
  16. ↑ Start dates Germany In: insidekino.com. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
  17. ↑ The Favorite - intrigue and madness. In: festival-des-deutschen-films.de. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  18. ↑ 'The Favorite' Soundtrack Album Released. In: filmmusicreporter.com, January 7, 2019.
  19. ^ The Favorite. In: comingsoon.net. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  20. ^ Reasons for the release of The Favorite - Intrigen and Irrsinn In: Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle der Filmwirtschaft. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  21. ^ The Favorite. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved March 2, 2019. Note: The Tomatometer is the percentage of Rotten Tomatoes Approved Critics who gave the film a positive rating.
  22. ↑ 200 Best LGBT Movies of All Time. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  23. ↑ Best-Reviewed Comedies 2018. In: Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
  24. ^ Owen Gleiberman: Film Review: 'The Favorite'. In: Variety, August 30, 2018.
  25. ↑ Katja Nicodemus: Venice Film Festival: Yes, it goes even deeper. In: Zeit Online, September 6, 2018.
  26. ↑ Patrick Seyboth: Critique of The Favorite - Intrigue and Insanity. In: epd Film, December 21, 2018.
  27. ↑ The Favorite - intrigue and madness. Jury reasoning: Predicate particularly valuable. In: German film and media evaluation. Accessed January 30, 2019.
  28. ^ The Favorite. In: boxofficemojo.com. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  29. ↑ Top 100 Germany 2019. In: insidekino.com. Retrieved June 8, 2019.
  30. ↑ The Favorite - intrigue and madness. In: visionkino.de. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
  31. ↑ 'Black Panther', 'A Star Is Born' Among AFI Awards Honorees. In: The New York Times, December 4, 2018.
  32. ↑ Ryan Adams: Black Panther, The Favorite, Crazy Rich Asians Score with 2019 Art Directors Guild Awards. In: awardsdaily.com, February 3, 2019.
  33. ^ Georg Szalai: 'The Favorite' Leads British Independent Film Awards Nominations. In: The Hollywood Reporter, October 31, 2018.
  34. ↑ Paul Sheehan: 2018 British Independent Film Awards: Full list of winners led by 'The Favorite'. In: goldderby.com, December 2, 2018.
  35. ↑ Dino-Ray Ramos: CDG Awards: 'Black Panther' 'Crazy Rich Asians' Among Honorees. In: deadline.com, February 19, 2019.
  36. ↑ Pete Hammond: Critics Choice Awards: 'The Favorite' 14 Nominations; 'Black Panther' A Marvel; 'First Man' rebounds; 'The Americans' Leads TV Series. In: deadline.com, December 10, 2018.
  37. ↑ Carolyn Giardina: 'Bohemian Rhapsody,' 'The Favorite' Top Editors' ACE Eddie Awards. In: The Hollywood Reporter, February 1, 2019.
  38. ↑ People's Choice Award 2019. In: europeanfilmawards.eu. Retrieved September 3, 2019.
  39. ^ First eight EFA winners announced. In: cineuropa.org, November 19, 2019.
  40. ↑ Golden Globes: List of Nominees. In: The Hollywood Reporter, December 6, 2018.
  41. ↑ Ramin Setoodeh: Ethan Hawke's 'First Reformed' Leads Gotham Awards Nominations. In: Variety, October 18, 2018.
  42. ↑ Timothée Chalamet and Rachel Weisz to be Honored at the HOLLYWOOD FILM AWARDS. In: broadwayworld.com, October 11, 2018.
  43. ↑ Gregg Kilday: Hollywood Film Awards: 'Black Panther,' 'Incredibles 2' Among Latest Honorees. In: The Hollywood Reporter, October 30, 2018.
  44. ↑ Independent Spirit Awards: 'Eighth Grade,' 'First Reformed' Among Best Feature Nominees. In: The Hollywood Reporter, November 16, 2018.
  45. ↑ 12th Queer Lion Award: films in competition. In: queerlion.it, August 27, 2018.
  46. ^ Andrew Pulver: Roma and The Favorite triumph at the London Film Critics' Circle awards. In: The Guardian, January 21, 2019.
  47. ^ National Society of Film Critics Names 'The Rider' Best Picture. In: Variety, January 5, 2019.
  48. ↑ 2018 Awards. In: ofcs.org, December 26, 2018.
  49. ↑ Dave McNary: Producers Guild Awards Nominees Include 'Black Panther', 'A Star Is Born', 'Handmaid's Tale'. In: Variety, January 4, 2019.
  50. ^ Karen M. Peterson: International Press Academy Announces Nominees for 23rd Annual Satellite Awards. In. 29th November 2018.
  51. ↑ Paul Sheehan: 2019 SAG Awards nominations: Full list of Screen Actors Guild Awards nominees. In: goldderby.com, December 12, 2018.