At the beginning of the eighteenth century England is at war with France. The British Empress Anne, who suffers from gout and constant mood swings, cannot cope with her health problems and with the health of the kingdom. Thus, her close friend Lady Sarah Churchill unofficially runs the country in her stead, taking care of the queen like a child. This story is at the heart of The Favorite, the third film in English by Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos after the success of The Lobster and The Sacrifice of the Sacred Deer, broadcast on Sunday 27 August on 21.10 on Rai Storia for the Kino Binario cycle. .
The balance between the two women shifts when Sarah’s distant relative, Abigail, arrives at the palace, who, reduced to poverty by her father’s bankruptcy, enters the royal family as a humble maid and then reveals herself as a very accomplished careerist, becoming thus ” Monarch’s favorite. Olivia Colman played the role of Queen Anne, who for her complex interpretation won the Volpi Cup of the Venice Film Festival and the Oscar for Best Actress. In the role of Sarah Churchill, Rachel Weisz was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress. The trio of actresses is complemented by Oscar winner Emma Stone and translator Abigail Masham.
