Poor Things is a weird movie. That's to be expected given it's directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, a master of strange movies. There are two types of weirdness, though. There's weird for the sake of being weird, and then there's movies that can fully live within the confines of its own reality. Poor Things is the latter. Despite the utter insanity of what goes on on screen, it doesn't feel detached at all from the world it builds for itself. The premise is that in a steampunk Victorian London, Bella Baxter, who was raised in a lab, seeks to leave the lab and see the world beyond.
The acting is fantastic. Whether or not Emma Stone will win the Oscar for this remains to be seen, but she is certainly worthy of it. Bella Baxter is a character who changes quite a bit over the runtime of this film, and Stone manages to make her seem just as alive in all of them. Both as the childlike Frankenstein monster at the beginning and the firm young woman at the end are delivered with such sincerity. Mark Ruffalo is the supporting lead, and he's quite good as well. One cast member in particular who stands out is Willem Dafoe, who has really been on a roll with strange movies in the last few years.
From a technical standpoint, the movie is amazing. The most impressive thing about it other than the acting is the production and set design. Poor Things is one of those rare movies where any single shot from it is instantly identifiable. Several of the sets and shots are reminiscent of the early silent films, and their influence is clear, particularly in the black and white segments. It actually is reminiscent of, and not many movies can say this, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Not only does London look fantastic, each place Bella visits on her journey looks incredible, ranging from dreamlike to steampunk. Even aside from the sets, everything contributes to this weird world, and nothing is left untouched. The little things in the lab, like the hybrid animals or the... thing that Godwin uses when he eats, are quite memorable. Of particular note are the costumes and the music. The former is a unique set of costumes that befits the aesthetic of the world. The latter uses a variety of instruments for compositions that could only go with a movie like this.
If there's one thing Poor Things stumbles on, it's the message of the movie. There are several ideas that are cooked up - the idea of a woman finding her own place in the world, innocence and the innate goodness in people - but it's all undercooked. A lot of this feeling is owed to the fact that there is a metric crap-ton of sex and nudity in this movie. You're seeing quite a bit of Stone, Ruffalo, and some others in this one. While the sex is ultimately an important contributing factor (more than can be said for many movies), there's too much of it to the point where it feels like porn. Now, the idea of Bella emerging from the lab she was made in to see the whole of humanity is a good premise, and Stone's performance makes all of Bella's experiences feel legitimate, but there's no real substance to it other than that.
Poor Things is quite a memorable movie, with its bizarre Victorian world and fantastic acting, even if its ideas could have been delivered better.
The acting is fantastic. Whether or not Emma Stone will win the Oscar for this remains to be seen, but she is certainly worthy of it. Bella Baxter is a character who changes quite a bit over the runtime of this film, and Stone manages to make her seem just as alive in all of them. Both as the childlike Frankenstein monster at the beginning and the firm young woman at the end are delivered with such sincerity. Mark Ruffalo is the supporting lead, and he's quite good as well. One cast member in particular who stands out is Willem Dafoe, who has really been on a roll with strange movies in the last few years.
From a technical standpoint, the movie is amazing. The most impressive thing about it other than the acting is the production and set design. Poor Things is one of those rare movies where any single shot from it is instantly identifiable. Several of the sets and shots are reminiscent of the early silent films, and their influence is clear, particularly in the black and white segments. It actually is reminiscent of, and not many movies can say this, The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Not only does London look fantastic, each place Bella visits on her journey looks incredible, ranging from dreamlike to steampunk. Even aside from the sets, everything contributes to this weird world, and nothing is left untouched. The little things in the lab, like the hybrid animals or the... thing that Godwin uses when he eats, are quite memorable. Of particular note are the costumes and the music. The former is a unique set of costumes that befits the aesthetic of the world. The latter uses a variety of instruments for compositions that could only go with a movie like this.
If there's one thing Poor Things stumbles on, it's the message of the movie. There are several ideas that are cooked up - the idea of a woman finding her own place in the world, innocence and the innate goodness in people - but it's all undercooked. A lot of this feeling is owed to the fact that there is a metric crap-ton of sex and nudity in this movie. You're seeing quite a bit of Stone, Ruffalo, and some others in this one. While the sex is ultimately an important contributing factor (more than can be said for many movies), there's too much of it to the point where it feels like porn. Now, the idea of Bella emerging from the lab she was made in to see the whole of humanity is a good premise, and Stone's performance makes all of Bella's experiences feel legitimate, but there's no real substance to it other than that.
Poor Things is quite a memorable movie, with its bizarre Victorian world and fantastic acting, even if its ideas could have been delivered better.