Acclaimed auteur Yorgos Lanthimos and his Oscar-winning muse, Emma Stone, follow up The Favourite with a libertine sexual odyssey that’s astonishingly imaginative. Poor Things, adapted from the novel by Alasdair Gray, has a Dr. Frankenstein-esque scientist (Willem Dafoe) creating a young woman as a surrogate daughter of sorts. Her childlike demeanor is corrupted by a debauched lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) who takes her on a globetrotting adventure. What begins as lurid escapades evolves into a thoughtful exploration of human insights. Poor Things is a bold and daring cinematic endeavor that rivals for best film of the year.
Set in an alternate late 1800s Victorian era, the hideously scarred Dr. Godwin Baxter (Dafoe) teaches an autopsy class to skeptical medical students. All but the shy Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) consider him to be a twisted freak. Godwin creates new creatures by splicing together body parts. He notices Max’s curiosity and offers him a unique opportunity to further his studies.
Max arrives at Godwin’s elegant but bizarre home to a bevy of surprises. A duck with a dog’s body trots around with other wacky critters. But they pale in comparison to the introduction of Bella (Stone). She stumbles awkwardly like a toddler towards Max and sheepishly plays with his face, her stunted sentences a mixture of giddy glee and confusion about this strange new person. Bella’s quickly shepherded away by Mrs. Prim (Vicki Pepperdine), Godwin’s maid, after she urinates on the floor.
Willem Dafoe Crafts a Surrogate Daughter
Release Date December 8, 2023
Rating R
Runtime 2hr 21min
A stupefied Max is brought up to speed at dinner. Bella was crafted from the body of a woman who committed suicide. She’s a child in an adult body who needs to be taught and supervised. Godwin fears he’s becoming too attached to her for clinical study. Max accepts the job with a mixture of disgust, trepidation, and wonder. He dutifully tutors Bella but soon notices her intoxicating beauty. Bella’s long black hair, which grows an inch daily, accentuates a supple figure that radiates femininity.
Bella’s mental growth leads to an unexpected development. She discovers the joys of masturbation and bodily pleasures. This carnal awakening is noticed by Godwin’s duplicitous lawyer, Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo). The lusty schemer decides to whisk Bella away as a perverted fantasy. She’s happy to oblige a source of unending orgasms. A dismayed Max and Godwin understand they can’t stop her from absconding. Bella isn’t their prisoner or a controlled experiment. She has the right to leave with Duncan and find her own way in a cruel world.
There’s a lot to unpack here. Godwin, who Bella endearingly calls “God” in a clever double entendre, is also a patchwork of organs. A running joke throughout has Godwin horrifying Max with the hideous operations his father subjected him to. Does a human really need a spleen? This cruel upbringing sparked Godwin’s insatiable and demented quest for creating new life. Bella is the epitome of his life’s work, but he couldn’t remain distant and calculating. She has an innate ability to enchant. Everyone in her presence falls in love.
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Duncan’s living sex toy soon realizes he’s not the only source of pleasure. Bella’s comprehension of self grows exponentially on their travels. She encounters new people who intrigue her beyond the physical. Bella had never known hunger, pain, and suffering. She’s aghast, drumroll please, to learn that most people are poor and aren’t living in luxury. Bella meets a cynic (Jerrod Carmichael) and his aged patron (Hanna Schygulla) who open her to different philosophical discourse. Their interactions unleash Bella from Duncan’s grip. What happens next is a turn the lecherous conniver could never have predicted.
Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos: The Perfect Pair
Searchlight
Stone is again Oscar-worthy with a truly audacious performance. Bella goes from a gurgling tyke to a sexually open woman firmly in control of her own destiny. Stone’s willingness to portray nudity and engage in graphic sex scenes is remarkable. Poor Things isn’t blatantly pornographic but artistically displays rampant hedonism. The film’s second act in Paris pushes the R-rating off a cliff. This will undoubtedly be controversial as the narrative purposely eschews demure behavior. Female sexual liberation is deemed necessary to Bella’s personal fulfillment. She refuses to be controlled or confined by patriarchal norms. The climax has Bella finally facing societal pressures when a new antagonist (Christopher Abbott) tries to claim her.
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Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) continues to be sublime on all fronts. Poor Things is a feast for the eyes. Robbie Ryan’s cinematography changes from black and white to vibrant hues as Bella’s maturity progresses. Lanthimos uses fish eye and wide angle lenses to capture settings in their totality. There’s also a steampunk production design intermingled with the Victorian and gothic art direction. Every aesthetic stands out, but the costume design will be especially lauded. Holly Waddington (Lady Macbeth, The Great) needs to clear space on the shelf for award season. Her Leg of Mutton, puffy sleeves on Bella’s dresses, exquisitely provocative lingerie in the brothels, and Victorian knickers as skirts absolutely dazzle on screen.
Poor Things will have jaws hitting the floor. It is a must-see, but requires an open mind and acceptance of salacious humor. This isn’t a conservative experience in any sense. Lanthimos, Stone, their brilliant supporting players, and the talents behind the camera are all extraordinary.
Poor Things is a production of Film4, Element Pictures, and TSG Entertainment. It will be released theatrically on December 8th from Searchlight Pictures.
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