Olivia Colman Named Best Actress At Venice Film Festival
Olivia Colman is having quite the year, and the Venice Film Festival was definitely a bright spot among many bright spots in her career. Colman was named Best Actress at the festival, for her performance in The Favourite, reports The Guardian.
The comedy of manners was directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, and its quirky nature and solid storytelling are delighting audiences. Colman has a fantastic turn as Queen Anne. She plays her as volatile and frail, to great acclaim from critics.
The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw said in his review of The Favourite that Colman “couldn’t get any better,” adding that “She steps up to movie-star lead status with an uproarious performance as Britain’s needy and emotionally wounded Queen Anne in this bizarre black comedy of the 18th-century court, a souped-up and sweary quasi-Restoration romp full of intrigue and plotting – with wigs, clavichords and long corridors to storm down.”
Olivia Colman wins best actress award at #Venice festival, see the trailer for #TheFavourite here:https://t.co/l37liMjkqO pic.twitter.com/Jj13vZlv4v
— ET Canada (@ETCanada) September 9, 2018
Colman is no stranger to portraying royalty, which is lucky as she is soon going to be joining the cast of The Crown on Netflix. She will be taking over the role of Queen Elizabeth from Claire Foy on the Netflix drama for the third season.
In The Favourite, Colman was in excellent form opposite Rachel Weisz, who portrayed her character’s close friend Sarah Churchill. Emma Stone also stars as her cousin, Abigail. The film won the grand jury prize at the festival, which is the second most prestigious award. The festival’s top prize is the Golden Lion, which was awarded this year to Roma, a film by Alfonso Cuarón for Netflix.
This is the second time Colman and Lanthimos have worked together. He also cast her in The Lobster, his first English-language film. Colman portrayed a hotel manager in the film and won Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards for her acting in the role.
The Golden Lion going to Roma marks the first time Netflix has won the prestigious award for their original content at this festival. The win has solidified the streaming service as a true player in arthouse and independent films. It’s also apparent by the moves that actors are making onto shows there, such as Colman taking a role on the Crown. Netflix is providing original work, roles, and opportunities for actors who enjoy those prestige projects.
The Favourite is due out for a release in the United States starting January 1, 2019. If the reviews continue, it will likely draw big crowds eager to see a lively, quirky comedy.
