Poor Things

 

Score:  A

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef

Running time: 142 minutes

Rated R

Long Story Short:  Poor Things is a top Oscar contender, a wild un-categorizable adventure from the creative mind of Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite).  You can call it a retelling of Frankenstein, but that only skims the surface.  Emma Stone gives a great, wide-ranging performance as the "monster" in leading a movie that engages the senses but also will keep you thinking long after it's over.  Highly recommended.

In 19th century London, a medical student, Max, (Youssef) struggles for the attention of a doctor he admires, named Godwin (Dafoe).  Godwin finally hires Max as his assistant to take notes on an experiment he is conducting with a young woman named Bella (Stone).  Bella behaves very strangely and Max discovers that Godwin keeps a horrifying secret about her.  Bella undergoes rapid changes, however, and insists on leaving the confines of Godwin's home to explore the world.  While her companions don't always have the best intentions, Bella nevertheless continues to grow as she embraces her independence.

Poor Things is an odd but impressive film, taking inspiration from both old and new movie traditions to create a uniquely entertaining and thought-provoking experience.  The basic plot is a modern take on Frankenstein and while it certainly has some elements of horror, the main focus is on the "monster"'s development into a human being.  Bella has a long way to go: in the very first scene, she bangs away discordantly (also setting the horror mood) on a piano.  The first act is in black-and-white, which seems to evoke both the old monster movies as well as Bella's more primitive state.  On a small, room-level scale, the movie features realistic sets, but wider shots reveal a much more fantasy, even doll- or dream-like world.  This balance helps you to somehow both take the drama and characters seriously while also realizing it's really a conceptual exercise - tricky to do, but it worked (for me).  The visuals are also interesting in and of themselves, reminding me a little of Wes Anderson.  Still, I admit that I didn't like the movie a lot early on: even though I found Bella's bizarre behavior fascinating - particularly Stone's impressive physical performance - it leans more heavily on the horror, with all its characters feeling menacing and/or mysterious (most of them come to show at least a slightly softer side later on).

Once Bella leaves London with her questionable lawyer companion, Duncan, however, the movie really takes off.  Duncan is smooth but sleazy, and at first you fear that he'll take advantage of Bella.  However, after introducing Bella to the carnal pleasures of the world - from sex to great food to exotic cultures and locales - he soon finds that she is impossible to control.  This is where the movie's humor really flowers; while there's a bit of gloomy humor earlier, the combination of Ruffalo's loutish/buffoonish Duncan with Stone's ever more aware yet startlingly blunt Bella is often hilarious.  While sailing on a cruise ship, Bella learns more about the world around her, too, and is deeply moved, intellectually and morally, by philosophy and poverty.  When the cruise joy ride comes to a sudden end, the learning and laughs continue.  Bella, as much out of curiosity as necessity, tries out prostitution in Paris (yes, there is a LOT of sex in Poor Things.  But it's neither gratuitous, nor patronizingly silly).  The experience offers yet more growth for Bella, especially in the close relationships she forms with some co-workers.  Ultimately Poor Things can be seen as a fantastical yet potent feminist story as Bella discovers and embraces the joys and power of womanhood while also facing many of its obstacles.  I was especially intrigued by the masculine obstacles: the final one involves Bella delaying her "happily ever after" in order to glimpse her previous life and lover.  The horrific truth is soon revealed, and she quickly serves the bastard his just deserts before returning to the life path she deserves.

***

Poor Things has received quite a few Oscar nominations and when I found that it was coming to my theater, I jumped at the chance to see it.  The director's previous efforts, plus the opening parts of this one, made me a bit hesitant, despite their potential.  Yorgos Lanthimos is one of the most interesting filmmakers working today, but an uneven one: The Lobster was one of the worst movies I've ever seen, but The Favourite was quite interesting.  Poor Things is his best yet, and I like it better the more I think about it and write this review.  I think it does an especially great job of straddling multiple tricky lines: it's both vivid and unique in its presentation, while retaining a solid, watchable structure; it's also both subtle in many of its themes and character works but also refreshingly direct and clear.  I strongly recommend it for any adults - be prepared for the plentiful sex scenes and a few gross bits - but it's a unique and rewarding experience.

* By Searchlight Pictures - IMP Awards, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73929537