Review of: “Poor Things"
Poor Things (2023)
Writers: Tony McNamara, Alasdair Gray
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Stars: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10 Stars
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score: 79%
Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes
Spoilers Ahead,
You Have Been Warned...
Plot:
A young woman brought back to life (Emma Stone) by a scientist named Godwin Baxter, who goes by just [God,] (Willem Dafoe). Under his care she is thirsty for knowledge and adventure. She runs off with a slick and debauched lawyer (Mark Ruffalo), on a mind-bending adventure across Europe. Free from the prejudices of her time, she grows resolute in her purpose to stand for sexual freedom, equality, and liberation. A quasi-retelling of “the Bride of Frankenstein” of sorts, with a few twists and interesting characterization. As all great movies have… Great characters… At the end of the day, movies are made for people by people about people. I think that is why many movies fail these days and why the super-hero genre business is as bad as most see them as far as quality of the story being told goes. $200 million to make a movie that is largely done in and by a computer. “Poor Things” had a budget of 35 million and at the time of this writing, made on its U.S. run 32.9 million.
The movie itself is fairly artsy in its aesthetic. Wide-angle approaches to shots, fish-eye type angles. Part of the movie is in black and white and the other part is of vibrant coloring. The dialog is pretty well crafted with lingo being of the times but closer to 1900 industrialism and some steampunk elements. The tone is childish at times playing on the feelings of Bella Baxter (Stone) as a woman trapped in the mind of a growing child but at an accelerated rate. The story takes a twist when Bella discovers sex and sexual curiosity. She realizes how little of life she has actually lived up to this point. God, has not allowed her off of his property and Bella craves to examine the world with her unique perspective, often literally portrayed through shots resembling the view through a front door peephole.
The film explores the boundaries of life, death, and societal norms. “Poor Things” is not easy to categorize, described by viewers as absurd, ridiculous, and strange. However, it captivates us with its exploration of these dated societal norms and intricacies of the time period it is trying to represent. The plot takes an unexpected turn revealing that Bella carries the brain of her unborn child. The film follows Bella's journey of discovery, from basic life skills to understanding societal norms and sexual liberation. Emma Stone delivers a standout performance, portraying Bella with unparalleled unpredictability. Mark Ruffalo adds a layer of humor to the narrative and is a scene stealer that will make most laugh. The film's R-rating is notable in an era where graphic content like this has been often toned down to get a lessor rating so that it can be seen in theaters by a larger audience. It fearlessly embraces its vision, presenting a violent and thought-provoking storytelling experience that is highly sexualized. This film, unapologetically committed to its vision, invites viewers to delve into its complexity, making it a journey that may not be for everyone, but certainly promises a unique and thought-provoking experience. “Poor Things” is based on Alasdair Gray's book of the same name. However, adapting a complex narrative like “Poor Things” is always a challenge, and I appreciate that the film stands on its own merits, even without having read the original book. Director Yorgos Lanthimos, known for his visually eccentric style, doesn't disappoint. The film transforms famous cities into absurd, otherworldly versions while capturing their essence.
The performances, particularly by Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, and Emma Stone, are exceptional. Stone's portrayal of Bella is as risky as it gets; yet a compelling performance, adding depth to a character discovering the world from scratch. The film offers a more human touch through Bella’s character growth and exploration. It's a dense, hilarious, disturbing, and heartfelt experience. “Poor Things” feels like a breath of fresh air, deserving multiple viewings. One of the film's standout features is its undeniable beauty. Shot on 35mm film, and uses more practical sets and visual effects, although there is CGI there. It is not as heavily used to create these fantastic visuals, but to enhance or fill up what they shot using practical effects on set. It creates a lush and rich atmosphere, combining classic historicism with vividness. The set design, portraying fantastical Victorian settings, is both outrageous and classical. The range in costume design adds another layer of postmodern flair, creating a visually stunning realm once the scenes in color start to show up later in the film.
“Poor Things” is more than just entertainment; it's a thinking film that encourages the audience to consider its underpinning politics of how women are seen during this time period, even though it is not a true period piece. The film is filled with literary references and symbolism, from “Frankenstein” to ‘Eve’ in “the Garden of Eden,” providing a multidimensional experience. Emma Stone's portrayal of Bella is exceptional, capturing the character's complexities. However, I acknowledge that the film diverges from the book in its characterization. While Bella in the film may display a more intense and unrepentant nature, it doesn't necessarily undermine the film's overall message. The differences in characterization provide a darker, more cynical perspective on human nature, contrasting with the optimism found in the original novel. Despite these changes, “Poor Things” remains a thought-provoking exploration of societal norms and the human condition. Its stunning visuals, coupled with strong performances. The sex scenes, while graphic, are still done tastefully and even comical in the brutal honesty of sexual gratification from an adult body with the maturity of a young child. Bella discovers sexuality and wants to share the bliss with everyone and doesn’t understand that sex is a complicated social barrier for most, especially in Victorian times. The film is cute like this all the way around and I am sure I will watch this again.
One of the oddities within the plot and characters is the backstory of who Bella really is. Why her body was chosen for resurrection and who Godwin Baxter really is? There is some dialog in the film and as I said I had not read the book but Godwin to me is Frankenstein’s Monster. Years later, the Doctor himself, has passed away. Has left everything to Godwin. God refers to the Doctor as his father and that he was heavily abused growing up. I infer this as the Doctor built Godwin. Was constantly attempting to make him better through very painful medical experiments. Only later in life did the Doctor treat Godwin as a human and then later a son. The one point that is shown down the board is the minds of the resurrected seem to have an aptitude for knowledge and experience. They want to learn and once they learn, well, how to learn, they tend to learn quickly and intently. By the halfway point of the film Bella has surpassed Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) in intelligence. This drives him slightly mad and full of jealously. By the end Duncan believes Bella to be a crazed manipulator that has bewitched him to ruin his life. It should be noted that Duncan manipulated Bella, due to her lack of knowledge of the world and being an attractive adult female to whisk her away to travel, make love and Duncan get drunk and gamble. When Duncan loses power over her, he cannot bounce back and it is quite satisfying to watch him descend into madness.
The movie does not linger on these backstories of Godwin, his father and the creation of Bella. They are mentioned to give some contextual meaning but I thought these were some of the more interesting pieces of the plot. All and all this is a beautiful film and a real whacky way to tell a story of growth, adventure and love from a growing woman’s perspective. Sort of coming-of-age story, but not in the same sense or tone as the coming-of-age films from the past. However, here, told in a really abstract, artsy and strange way.
Dr. Godwin Baxter: “My father once told me,
"Always carve with compassion." He was a fucking idiot, but it's not
bad advice.”
Swiney: “We must work. We must make
money. But more than that Bella, we must experience everything. Not just the
good, but degradation, horror, sadness. This makes us whole Bella, makes us
people of substance. Not flighty, untouched children. Then we can know the
world. And when we know the world, the world is ours.”
Bella Baxter: “I want that.”
Swiney: “Now go and fuck someone and
bring me ten francs.”