Poor Things Review: Yorgos Lanthimos’s latest cinematic creation, “Poor Things,” invites audiences into a visually extravagant and delightfully cunning world. This whimsical take on the classic Frankenstein narrative is a surreal spectacle, brimming with dark humor and tracking the eccentric adventures of Bella (Emma Stone). Bella, a peculiar Victorian woman with a childlike disposition, navigates a world filled with strange habits, bizarre surroundings, and her altogether unusual guardian, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe).
Dr. Baxter, a renowned and extravagantly unorthodox scientist, is more akin to a bespoke butcher with his penchant for dissecting both the living and the dead. Living in a lavishly appointed London mansion, the duo, accompanied by a maid and a collection of repulsive animal experiments, unravels mysteries in a hidden laboratory. Bella, with her childish charm, occasionally joins in the macabre fun. As the plot unfolds, it’s revealed that Bella is an experiment herself reanimated by Dr. Baxter after he swapped her brain with that of a fetus.
Despite Bella’s seemingly adult appearance, a disconcerting disconnection exists between her body and mind. Stone skillfully portrays Bella with the herky-jerky instability of a child finding her sea legs, creating a character that is messy, curious, impolite, and occasionally violent. Bella is a work in progress, a monstrous yet undeniably human woman.
Adapted from the 1992 Alasdair Gray novel, “Poor Things” dives headfirst into its eccentricity. Lanthimos, working in a flamboyantly expressive key, utilizes prosthetics, costumes, meticulous production design, and showboating cinematography to craft a familiar yet alien world of calculated dissonance. Dr. Baxter, resembling Frankenstein’s monster, is a crazy quilt of horror, a testament to Lanthimos’s mastery in creating visually striking characters.
As Bella’s fortunes change, two suitors enter the scene: the earnest and toadying Max McCandless (Ramy Youssef), hired by Baxter to document her development, and the oily, smooth-talking huckster Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo). Bella embarks on an episodic adventure with Duncan, experiencing the world’s pleasures and cruelties in classic Bildungsroman fashion.
While “Poor Things showcases a rich design and bold ideas, its overall monotonal progression leaves something to be desired. Ruffalo and Dafoe deliver precise and refined performances, creating characters with deeper layers than the dialogue suggests. Stone, in her discreet yet impactful performance, seamlessly embodies the changes Bella undergoes.
The film, scene by scene, presents polished details and eye-catching visuals, from a steam-engine carriage with a horse’s head to biomorphic swirls on a ceiling. However, as the story stalls and the showy minutiae keep coming, the cumulative effect becomes bludgeoning. “Poor Things” walks a fine line between comic brilliance and self-satisfaction, occasionally leaving the audience feeling bullied into admiration for a film that revels in its own uniqueness.
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Our Reader’s Queries
Is Poor Things based on a true story?
Yes, “Poor Things” is inspired by the book of the same name written by Alasdair Gray. Although it is a work of fiction, the film draws its inspiration from the storytelling of the novel.
Is Poor Things a good movie?
The production design, atmosphere, and score are absolutely stunning. Stone delivers her most impressive performance to date, and the world created in this film is truly captivating. Despite losing some steam towards the end, the movie remains incredibly entertaining. And in the end, even though it’s a bit strange, it’s the good kind of strange that we can get behind.
What is the message of Poor Things movie?
Emma Stone’s exceptional performance in Poor Things highlights her comedic and dramatic prowess. The movie delves into the concept of personal metamorphosis and rebelling against societal boundaries.
