About half an hour into this gambling comedy-drama flick, we are introduced to the concept of ‘laying’ the favourite, in one of those groan-worthy moments when someone on-screen mentions the film’s title, and you half expect the assembled cast to drop character and wink at the camera (see also: The Prestige, Face/Off, Top Gun). But they don’t, and the plot moves on, as if the authorial hand hadn’t just strayed into frame and given a very indulgent thumbs-up. Of course, there’s a double entendre knocking about here somewhere, and Lay The Favourite’s title makes clear the film’s ambitions towards the sort of frothy, sexy comedy that comes with many beds, many potential partners, and one very difficult decision at its centre. Although, despite its details and dressing, from a Vegas setting to a plethora of plasma screens filled with betting details, this really isn’t a film about gambling or sex – but it’s barely about anything else, either. Director Stephen Frears has made a career out of traversing the line between comedy and drama, crafting accessible, straightforward films with crystal clear titles like The Queen, My Beautiful Laundrette and Mrs Henderson Presents, but his last film, the countryside romp Tamara Drewe, showed some signs that his hyphenated approach to cinema was wearing thin. With Lay The Favourite, the erosion continues. Tonally, thematically, narratively, it is all over the place – a horse without a rider. For what should be a comic trifle, it sure is a baggy mess, with depth, dimension and doubt sacrificed in favour of a comprehensive, true-to-life plot. Frears, too, crams in as much emotion and hard-shifts as he can, from dopey comedy to gambling-is-just-another-drug drama. The tone wildly varies between scenes, something best reflected in Zeta Jones’ performance, which ping-pongs from scowling soap-opera ice queen to hysterical housewife, before settling somewhere between Stepford Bitch and, most unexpectedly, Beth’s best mate. It’s lucky that they have Bruce Willis on board, really, because he is the only member of the cast not trying their damnedest to will a film to life. He is, as reports have always suggested, merely playing himself – that is, he is performing the part of Bruce Willis, wearing a t-shirt, spouting lines about being a bookie with an overbearing wife. Even when Dink reaches the nadir of his luck, and it falls to Willis to throw what, in the script, must have been described as a tantrum, a fit of rage, or even a minor wobbly, he does so with an easy, effortless manner. After recently seeing the old lug in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, in which he was wrapped up in meticulous costume and seemed to almost break a sweat, this looks like Casual Friday. At the age of 30, Hall has successfully made the jump from stage to screen, but she has yet to truly ‘break Hollywood’, whatever that means. Many of her screen credits – her superb performance as female ghost-hunter Florence Cathcart in last year’s The Awakening aside – have seemingly been given over to convincing the Stateside audience that she can affect whatever US accent is thrown at her, if the likes of Please Give, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and The Town are anything to go by. As her accented performances go, though, this is easily her least charming: Beth’s high-pitched, nasal drawl never gets beyond irritation, and while Hall certainly has the natural gifts to fill out the character’s confident state of undress – we first see her prancing about in her pants to hair metal, and she is rarely seen in anything more conservative than a pair of hotpants – there’s an undeniable sense that the actress is simply too good for the material. With its overstuffed script and uncertain direction, Lay The Favourite is unlikely to change Rebecca Hall’s fortunes. Luckily, her next film is a bona fide blockbuster, an upcoming superhero sequel with a crystal-clear title: Iron Man 3. Now there’s a safe bet. Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
title: “Lay The Favourite Review” ShowToc: true date: “2025-07-23” author: “Bonnie Hricko”
About half an hour into this gambling comedy-drama flick, we are introduced to the concept of ‘laying’ the favourite, in one of those groan-worthy moments when someone on-screen mentions the film’s title, and you half expect the assembled cast to drop character and wink at the camera (see also: The Prestige, Face/Off, Top Gun). But they don’t, and the plot moves on, as if the authorial hand hadn’t just strayed into frame and given a very indulgent thumbs-up. Of course, there’s a double entendre knocking about here somewhere, and Lay The Favourite’s title makes clear the film’s ambitions towards the sort of frothy, sexy comedy that comes with many beds, many potential partners, and one very difficult decision at its centre. Although, despite its details and dressing, from a Vegas setting to a plethora of plasma screens filled with betting details, this really isn’t a film about gambling or sex – but it’s barely about anything else, either. Director Stephen Frears has made a career out of traversing the line between comedy and drama, crafting accessible, straightforward films with crystal clear titles like The Queen, My Beautiful Laundrette and Mrs Henderson Presents, but his last film, the countryside romp Tamara Drewe, showed some signs that his hyphenated approach to cinema was wearing thin. With Lay The Favourite, the erosion continues. Tonally, thematically, narratively, it is all over the place – a horse without a rider. For what should be a comic trifle, it sure is a baggy mess, with depth, dimension and doubt sacrificed in favour of a comprehensive, true-to-life plot. Frears, too, crams in as much emotion and hard-shifts as he can, from dopey comedy to gambling-is-just-another-drug drama. The tone wildly varies between scenes, something best reflected in Zeta Jones’ performance, which ping-pongs from scowling soap-opera ice queen to hysterical housewife, before settling somewhere between Stepford Bitch and, most unexpectedly, Beth’s best mate. It’s lucky that they have Bruce Willis on board, really, because he is the only member of the cast not trying their damnedest to will a film to life. He is, as reports have always suggested, merely playing himself – that is, he is performing the part of Bruce Willis, wearing a t-shirt, spouting lines about being a bookie with an overbearing wife. Even when Dink reaches the nadir of his luck, and it falls to Willis to throw what, in the script, must have been described as a tantrum, a fit of rage, or even a minor wobbly, he does so with an easy, effortless manner. After recently seeing the old lug in Wes Anderson’s Moonrise Kingdom, in which he was wrapped up in meticulous costume and seemed to almost break a sweat, this looks like Casual Friday. At the age of 30, Hall has successfully made the jump from stage to screen, but she has yet to truly ‘break Hollywood’, whatever that means. Many of her screen credits – her superb performance as female ghost-hunter Florence Cathcart in last year’s The Awakening aside – have seemingly been given over to convincing the Stateside audience that she can affect whatever US accent is thrown at her, if the likes of Please Give, Vicky Cristina Barcelona, and The Town are anything to go by. As her accented performances go, though, this is easily her least charming: Beth’s high-pitched, nasal drawl never gets beyond irritation, and while Hall certainly has the natural gifts to fill out the character’s confident state of undress – we first see her prancing about in her pants to hair metal, and she is rarely seen in anything more conservative than a pair of hotpants – there’s an undeniable sense that the actress is simply too good for the material. With its overstuffed script and uncertain direction, Lay The Favourite is unlikely to change Rebecca Hall’s fortunes. Luckily, her next film is a bona fide blockbuster, an upcoming superhero sequel with a crystal-clear title: Iron Man 3. Now there’s a safe bet. Follow Den Of Geek on Twitter right here. And be our Facebook chum here.
