In his amazingly creative recent films (“Dogtooth", “The Killing of a Sacred Deer”, and, most of all, "The Lobster”), Greek iconoclast Yorgos Lanthimos has shown himself to be the successor to Stanley Kubrick, most of all by his long tracking shots and perfectly composed, pristine images. In that sense, “The Favourite” is his “Barry Lyndon", but skewed as if watching demented goings-on in a fishbowl, and outright uninhibited in its dark examination of the deadly power struggle around manipulating Queen Anne in 18th Century England. If less perfect than Kubrick’s rightly praised film, this is more realistic (in its dark dinginess -- even a room with many candles looks nothing like Kubrick's postcard-pretty posturing), and certainly more contemporary. It is also more accessible than Lanthimos’s usual, and more ‘commercially' entertaining (it is a funny dark comedy), while it still is unabashedly pure Lanthimos: profane, disturbing and sometimes offensive. Most distinctive of all however is the cast, three grand dames acting their hearts out: Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah, close friend (and sometime lover) of the Queen who governs the country when the Queen can’t manage it; Emma Stone as the new servant Abigail whose appearance to the Royal Court begins the film; but most of all is the brilliant Olivia Colman as the somewhat mentally-confused Queen Anne escaping her duties by charming her pet rabbits, arguably the most memorable female performance of the year. To see these three artists, at each others’ throats as well as breasts, makes this film an incredibly delicious drama, sort of like Masterpiece Theater invaded by salacious figures from Beardsley’s Victorian erotica. Not everyone’s cup of tea, but it is the very best tea Britain has offered the movie screens in many a year.

The film itself is absolutely phenomenal. It boast excellent performances from all three leading ladies. The cinematography is masterful. The writing hilarious, direction excellent. This Blu-ray has excellent picture and sound quality. The only thing keeping the rating down is its lack of special features. Some deleted scenes, an EPK and a trailer are included. Would have been nice to have a cast or director commentary.

Yorgos Lanthimos' films aren't for everyone as his works often feature characters involved in outrageous situations that some viewers may simply not find to their liking. So in his latest acclaimed feature: "The Favourite", he creates a humorous take on the love affairs of Queen Anne during the early part of 18th cenury England as two women fight to become the Queen's favorite leading to some amusing results. This one comes highly recommended for arthouse lovers and is a must-see, but comes with a recommendation for viewers unfamiliar with the filmmaker's works.

A bizarre tale of Princess Anne and her relationship with 2 women, battling for her attention, and perhaps her power. Oscar winner Olivia Colman great in lead performance, and Emma Stone and Rachel Weisz awesome in support. Visually stunning, sometimes bizarre and comic but always interesting, this was certainly a worthy candidate for the Oscar nominations it received. Curious finale, but def worth a look.

This film was a delight for the eyes and ears. It tells the story of England's Queen Anne in the 17th century and is told in a most unusual way. It breaks the mold of perceived conventions of a period drama (except perhaps for "A Knight's Tale") and for me anyway was a welcome change to the status quo of this genre. In addition, director Yorgos Lanthimos's visual style is breathtakingly unorthodox. Bottom line, you can't take your eyes off of this film once you start it and it will leave you both surprised and satisfied. I give it a high recommendation.