The setting of this film is England in the early 18th century and it is loosely based on actual events. The throne is occupied by a frail Queen Anne. She was born February 6, 1665 and she died August 1, 1714 at the age of 49 1/2. Her close friend Lady Sarah is actually governing the county because of Anne's ill health and mercurial temper. Abigail has been hired as a new servant and her charm endears her to Lady Sarah. The politics of the war are very time consuming for Sarah and she would like to return to her aristocratic roots. What Lady Sarah doesn't know is that Abigail not only wants to step into Lady Sarah's shoes, she wants to rid herself and the palace of Lady Sarah!! Abigail is not going to let anything stand in the way of her advancement!!
Historically Abigail entered Queen Anne's service in 1704. Anne's husband, Prince George of Denmark is never seen or mentioned? He died in 1708 and his death plus the deaths of their children attributed to Anne's depression. Anne also suffered from shyness and a myriad of health issues. She had persistent eye-watering, gout and obesity. The queen's coffin was so big that 14 carpenters were required to carry it at her funeral. She had 17 reported pregnancies but she failed to leave a single heir. Her pregnancies usually ended in stillbirth or miscarriage. There is a LOT going on in this film!! There were many instances where I thought it was bizarre!! I think the interpretation of history was probably a bit on the loose side?? This film won a many awards but not best picture. 2 1/2* (This movie was just so-so)
119 min Bio directed by Yorgos Lanthimos with Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Delves, Faye Daveney, Emma Stone, Paul Swaine, Jennifer White, Lilly-Rose Steven, Denise Mack, James Smith, Mark Gatiss, Horatio, Willem Dalby, Edward Aczel.
Note: Imdb 7.6 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes 93% critic 67% audience, Roger Ebert 3 1/2* Tomris Laffly, The Guardian 4* out of 5* Mark Kermode, Metacritic 90 out of 100 with 53 critics 7.7 out of 10 with 364 reviews, RollingStone 5* Peter Travers, Amazon 3* of 5*, 275 reviews, CommonSense 16+ age 4* of 5*.
Special Note: Filmed in Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertforsdhire; Hampton Court Palace, East Molesey; Divinity School, Oxford; Danson House, Danson Park, Danson Road, Bexleyheath; Ashbridge, Herfordshire, England, UK. Olivia Colman gained 2.5 stone (16kg or 35 lbs) to play Queen Anne. Most of the costumes and wigs were made for this film and the budget was very tight. Renting them was not feasible. Also, the early 18th century is rarely depicted on film and very few costume houses and appropriate stock available. Costume designer Sandy Powell used anachronistic fabrics, laser-cut lace and vinyl for the courtiers' clothes. Servants' dress and britches were made from recycled denim from thrift store jeans throughout England. Queen Anne's dressing gown is made from a chenille blanket found on eBay. Sandy divided her duties between this film and Mary Poppins Returns 2018. The two productions used adjacent work spaces at Pinewood Studios. Sandy received an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design for both films.
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