“Poor Things” Review
Emma Stone delivers one of her most outstanding performances in “Poor Things” as Bella Baxter, a woman brought to life by a mad scientist (Willem Dafoe) who seeks to make her own life in a bizarre Victorian world.
When I think of Yorgos Lanthimos, I have a good idea of what to expect in terms of style (wide-angle lenses and lush environments) but I have no clue what I’ll get from the film’s story and there’s something exciting about that. Whether it’s “The Lobster”, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” or “The Favourite”, there’s a refreshing quality to Lanthimos’ films that built up my anticipation for his new film “Poor Things”. After dazzling festivals and winning The Golden Lion prize at the Venice International Film Festival, I got to see “Poor Things” in its opening weekend and I was entranced. This is a truly outrageous, funny and exciting film led by outstanding direction and a marvelous performance by one of my favorite actors.
A mad scientist named Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) lives in Victorian England and hires Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), an ambitious student, to help him study Dr. Baxter’s new creation: a woman named Bella Baxter (Emma Stone). Born from the body of a pregnant woman who took her own life and with the brain of that woman’s unborn child, Bella’s rapid progression of her abilities fascinates the two scientists. What no one can predict though is the great desire of Bella for autonomy and a life of exploration and discovery. After becoming enamored with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a devilish lawyer, Bella and her new beau go on an insane journey across Europe where Bella discovers what kind of a woman she wants to be.
After their first collaboration with “The Favourite”, which earned Emma Stone her third Oscar nomination, it’s wonderful to see Stone and Lanthimos back together for a new feature film. Emma Stone is one of my favorite actors and I always get excited for whatever film she’s got coming out. As Bella, Stone has a challenging job since she has to naturally progress from having the mind of a child to that of a complex adult within two-and-a-half-hours. This ever-developing mind shows so much evolution in the realms of intelligence, language, physicality, sexuality and autonomy. Since “Poor Things” was, most likely, filmed out of order, it has to be challenging for an actor to carry so many different mental states with them throughout a shoot.
The rest of “Poor Things’” cast is truly wonderful with their characters feeling like Victorian caricatures tossed through this multi-colored environment. Beneath his incredibly designed facial prosthetics, Willem Dafoe gives a goofy performance that relies on Dafoe saying the most ridiculous things with a straight face. In particular, when he explains the backstories of some of his scars, the answers are so bizarre but delivered with exceptional deadpan humor. Ramy Youssef is also quite enjoyable as this dorky scientist who falls in love with Bella but also is unsure of how to handle her forward-thinking nature.
Mark Ruffalo is incredibly demented and delightfully crass as Duncan Wedderburn in one of his most engaging performances.
But out of all the supporting players, Mark Ruffalo is at the top of his game as this guy you love to hate to love. Duncan is an immature jackass who’s really only interested in Bella sexually with plans to travel the world, party and having Bella as his plaything and Ruffalo gives every scene his all. I’ve seen this man deliver so many powerhouse performances in “Dark Waters”, The Marvel Cinematic Universe and “The Kids Are All Right” but this might be his best work since “Spotlight”. He knows just what buttons to push to make you laugh because, the more Bella breaks away from Duncan’s control, the more misery he’s in and Duncan makes misery so funny. From his immature swearing to one of the best parodies of Marlon Brando screaming “Stella!” that I’ve ever seen, seeing Ruffalo and Stone together makes this a perfect comedic pairing.
While Yorgos Lanthimos’ has made a name for himself with bizarrely whimsical direction, “Poor Things” takes it to the limit. With a budget much larger than “The Favourite”, “Poor Things’” atmosphere is incredible to watch. The imagery feels like what you would see if you were reading “Frankenstein” while taking a copious amount of acid. All the ways that Lanthimos and his production team have twisted the Victorian era for their own delightful means are astonishing and part of the fun of “Poor Things” is just seeing what crazy things you’ll see next. Like a dog’s head on a chicken’s body for instance.
Reuniting with “The Favourite’s” screenwriter Tony McNamara, Lanthimos’ direction and McNamara’s script are a perfect match with such wonderful humor. While a significant part of the film’s comedy comes from just how bonkers and profane it can be, there are also plenty of witty lines, oddball characters and uses of slapstick to keep things continuously fresh. Much like “Barbie”, the film contains strong themes of feminism with Bella continuously rebelling against the men in her life, both her “father” Dr. Godwin Baxter (who she calls “God”) and her suitors, and seeking her own life. Through comedy, both of these films are able to relay their messages in such a unique and entertaining way. However, “Poor Things’” more extreme rating and content do give it a separate identity from the hit summer blockbuster.
While watching “Poor Things”, I was not only mesmerized by the film’s gripping story and acting but all of the work that must have gone on behind the camera to craft this crazy and engrossing world. From cinematographer Robbie Ryan’s creative uses of the camera to the meticulous editing of Yorgos Mavropsaridis to the one-of-a-kind score by Jerskin Fendrix, all of the film’s components are exceptional at not only adding to the weird atmosphere but also keeping the strong balance of comedy and drama.
Out of the many labels that “Poor Things” will be assigned, most of them will allude to the film’s bizarre content which is both fair and accurate. But beneath all of the mad scientists, sexual escapades, slap fights and hilarious uses of the C-word is a story with a good deal of heart that is about the self-inquiry people have and our desire to make the most of the precious life we’ve been given. Rather than be told what to do, Bella makes the bold choices to forge her own path and there’s a lot of admiration and entertainment to be found in that.
With Emma Stone’s Oscar-winning performance in “La La Land” (a film that made me want to make my own cinema) being so inspiring to me, it’s clear from her performance in “Poor Things” that she shows no signs of slowing down. As for Yorgos Lanthimos, his creativity with film is a stunning example of why this art form has lasted for so long. Because it’s capable of opening our eyes to the worlds that we can only dream of.
