Emma Stone makes this a career-defining performance in Poor Things
Johnson Thomas
An artistic, off-beat comedy, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things is a truly original, compelling tale told with wit, vigour and flair. Lanthimos’s film is based on the novel of the same name by Alasdair Gray, and is basically a fresh take on the Frankenstein story with shades of My Fair Lady and Alice in Wonderland. The film is much richer than his usual work but has the regular full dose of Lanthimos’s trademark satirical black humour.
Poor Things
Cast: Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos
Rating: ****
Set in the Victorian era in Scotland, the film demystifies patriarchy while examining the nature of identity and exposing the hypocritical conservatism of Victorian society. Tony McNamara’s screenplay is a work of art itself as it manages to pinpoint the negatives in a society that was given more to show than substance. The film works on multiple levels, has a strikingly unique visual palette and is elaborately ornate in its production, art and set design. Lanthimos has created a different world from what he is used to, yet manages to come up trumps. The naturalistic setting and minimalism he was known for is a thing of the past.
This is Bella Baxter’s (Emma Stone) story and it’s about her re-education in the real world after having been granted a bizarre ‘second life’ by Dr Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). As the narrative progresses, Bella emerges from her literally caged laboratory origins and encounters a real world of manners, acceptable behaviour, men, sex, class, poverty and gendered ownership. Bella eventually resists all male efforts to control, restrict and protect her and seeks out her own autonomy, making mistakes and learning truisms along the way. One such mistake is Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), a sexually-driven debauched rake whom Bella, in the first throes of a sexual awakening, finds hard to resist.
Lanthimos creates a surreal but evocative world which makes cultural relevance its mainstay. Bella’s attempts to escape the patriarchal hierarchy and embark on a journey of self-discovery while gaining agency is a joy to behold. As her education in the real world progresses she encounters people and events that challenge her limited worldview and sense of self.
Lanthimos’s narrative is rooted in art and artistry and has interesting ideas that play to a meter that is easily understood. Jerskin Fendrix’s music is original and enriches the narrative with unusual sounds. Yorgos Mavropsaridis’s editing is smooth and supple, allowing for major transitions to take place without any time lag. The consistent pace allows for enough intrigue, suspense and momentum to make this a uniquely interesting and entertaining experience. Robbie Ryan’s perspective defining lustrous cinematography underlines the defining moments in this entreaty with elegance.
There’s never a dull moment here as the actors go full throttle in their respective roles — being, believing and living their characters. Ruffalo, Dafoe and Youssef are excellent but this is really Emma Stone’s show. She makes this a career-defining performance and whether she wins the coveted Oscar or not, she deserves praise as an actress who dared to do different. This is a dark comedy that is both thought-provoking and entertaining!
Streaming on Hulu and Apple TV.
