Happy?

THE FAVOURITE (B) - This bawdy royal romp could be a little more focused and a lot more peppy to help us navigate the direction of the quirky director Yorgos Lanthimos. The Greek auteur made two arch art films nearly a decade ago -- "Dogtooth" and "Alps." He then bombed in 2015 with "The Lobster," and so we didn't even bother with his outre follow-up, "The Killing of a Sacred Deer." Lanthimos has gotten over his affection for Colin Farrell and now turns to Queen Anne and her female suitors, lighting up an engaging trio of actresses to prop up the stuffed script from TV writer Tony McNamara and newcomer Deborah Davis.

Olivia Colman is wonderful as the loopy Queen Anne a somewhat dim and sickly monarch at the dawn of the 18th century who focuses most of her attention on pet rabbits and on two women vying for her affections. The first is Lady Sarah (Rachel Weisz), who has quietly shared her highness's bedchamber on the sly while calling the shots during the war with France. Along comes a commoner to work on staff, Abigail (a sharp Emma Stone), whose Machiavellian maneuvers quickly into Anne's affections.

The first hour creeps along setting up intrigue. The second hour picks up the pace a bit. Insults are hurled, and they sting when they land. Double-crosses occur. The military twists in the wind out on the front lines while the politicians dither. Colman nails the mood perfectly, and Stone has the perfect pitch as the scheming little wench. Weisz is her usually steady self. They are fun to watch. The men not so much. As period pieces go, this one at least has some heft to it. There's not much aftertaste to consider with "The Favourite," but it's a pleasant romp.

THE INQUIRING NUNS (1968) (B-minus) - This curiosity from 50 years ago sent a pair of young nuns onto the streets of Chicago ca. 1967 to ask the simple question: Are you happy? Along with follow-ups such as "What would make you more or less happy?" The results don't reveal much. The nuns are polite and technically clumsy. The folks on the street cooperate but add little insight beyond the obvious token answers you'd expect from people back in the analog dark ages.

This is more interesting for the sociological study of Chicago at this point in time. Many of the nuns' outings seem to take place on a Sunday, when people are attending church or enjoying a museum. (Such quaint excursions.) Folks are neatly dressed, with women in dresses and hats, and men (and boys) in jackets and ties. The old actor Stepin Fetchit randomly shows up. Most people are concerned about the war in Vietnam, which probably is the most prominent reason interfering with the achievement of happiness. Race gets mentioned only once and tangentially; otherwise, the diverse group of participants ignore one of the great concerns of the age. Maybe that would have changed a year later.

Barely an hour long, this crude production comes from Kartemquin Films, which would later go on to produce "Hoop Dreams" and more recently "Minding the Gap" and other compelling documentaries. This is where they started. With stripped-down space age keyboard/computer noodling from Philip Glass.

BONUS TRACK
The trailer for "Nuns":