|
|
|
|
|
Many of this year’s films have turned their attention to women, examining their roles in relationships and society in general from a variety of different perspectives—and in a variety of different tones. But it’s safe to say that none have been nearly as bizarre as Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things.
Poor Things stars Emma Stone as Bella Baxter, an intriguing young woman who’s been brought back from a brain injury by the brilliant surgeon Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). When the doctor brings in his gifted student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) to monitor her development, the young man falls in love with the patient. But before they can marry, Bella is swept off her feet by Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), who promises to show her the world. And as this troubled woman is taken away on her very first adventure, she discovers more about herself and the outside world.
Though the casting may suggest that this is a quirky mainstream film about a young woman setting out into the world, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I can’t state that enough: just because it stars Bruce Banner, this is not a Marvel kind of movie. And if you go in expecting a whimsical tale of romance and adventure, you could very well end up scarred for life.
Poor Things is dark and disturbing and sometimes explicit—a troubling tale of a woman’s fight to live her own life. So much of this film is about power and control: of man’s desire to possess, to control, and even to imprison this troubled character, who has the body of a woman but the mentality of a child. And that’s exactly how they would prefer her to remain—because when Bella begins to think and grow and explore the world around her, these strong and passionate alpha males begin to find her unattractive and even abhorrent.
Still, despite the darkness of it all, Bella’s adventures play out in a way that’s strikingly artistic. It’s strange and distorted and strangely beautiful—mixing black and white scenes with those of such rich, vibrant colors. Everything from the settings to the costumes to the way Bella strings her words together is absolutely fascinating. And the strangeness of it all is just enhanced by brilliant performances that deserve to be recognized this award season.
Poor Things isn’t a film that will appeal to many viewers. It’s not the kind of award season contender that mainstream audiences will want to race out to see. But those in its small target audience will be absolutely mesmerized by this strikingly perplexing, beautifully bizarre, disturbingly hilarious work of cinematic art.
You can join Bella on this strange journey when Poor Things arrives in theaters on December 22, 2023.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
|
|
|
|
