SAVFF 2023 | Movie Review: Emma Stone Shines In "Poor Things" As Yorgos Lanthimos Delivers Another Masterpiece
12/12 ForReel Score | 5/5 Stars
As a devoted admirer of Yorgos Lanthimos's unique and often enigmatic storytelling, I was very eager to embark on his next cinematic journey. The first film of his that I saw in a theater was the 2018 masterpiece The Favourite. I was utterly transfixed by how Lanthimos was able to take a genre, like an 18th century English period drama, and smooth out all the rigid edges into a comically playful tale. As a true master of cinematic intrigue, Lanthimos has once again pulled back the curtain on a world that defies convention. Adapted from Alasdair Gray’s 1992 novel, Poor Things brilliantly blends the bizarre and beautiful in this thrilling tale of exploration.
Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Set in a neo-Victorian realm of the macabre, Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe, Antichrist) has created a new experiment. He transforms a young woman from a drowned corpse to a vibrant reanimated individual. Played by the remarkable Emma Stone, Bella Baxter enthusiastically takes in knowledge and experience. Constantly craving more than Dr. Godwin - or who she calls father-god - can offer her, she runs off on an erotic journey with sleazy lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo, In the Cut). In constant need of pleasure and wisdom, Bella frolics around this strange new world consuming anything and everything.
By intertwining the grandeur of early 20th-century filmmaking techniques with the possibilities offered by modern technology, Lanthimos crafts his own mythical land. Reminiscent of films like The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Querelle, the vividly surreal Victorian landscapes by production designers Shona Heath (Eye Ear You) and James Price (The Nest) brighten up the screen. Cities like Lisbon, Alexandria, and Paris are reimagined under the glow of a cotton candy sky. Every detail meticulously builds this grandiose world that finds itself teetering between the tangible and artificial. The sets and colors of the film mirror Bella’s ever changing state of mind. In her origins, to her the world was black and white. Then as she feasts on pleasure and amusement, the saturation is turned up to 1000. And as her childlike wonder subsides it slopes back down, still electrifying yet more practical and mature. Lanthimos’s fluorescent world feels like a character in its own right.
Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Costume designer Holly Waddington (Lady MacBeth) adds to the whimsy with her injections of sensual references into Bella’s wardrobe. Gowns, vests, and blouses are all embellished by the shapes of bodily folds. Very much like a child preparing their own outfits Bella trapes around in richly detailed jackets and undergarments. Never being confined by a corset, the gothic outfits feel more contemporary in style. As Bella gains more and more wisdom her outfits change from optimistic yellows to sophisticated neutrals and blacks.
At the start of her journey, Bella thinks and acts like a child, instinctually reaching for violence, comedy, and instant gratification. This wonder hypnotizes the men around her, as they too want to bask in her amazement. Yet no one can remain a child forever, thus as Bella continues to speak her mind freely and question what she believes to be futile a frustration builds. Like most children coming into themselves she doesn't want to be tamed by civilized society. Through a series of vignettes Bella quickly learns that she has control over her circumstances. When a lesson is learned or the life she has found herself in no longer suits her, she ventures off to build another.
Image courtesy of Searchlight Pictures
Poor Things is the best performance of Emma Stone’s entire career. Fact. As Bella Baxter, she is nothing short of extraordinary. From the very first scene, she is unrecognizable; there is no Stone, only Bella. Navigating the complexities of a character who is, quite literally, brought back to life with prowess and finesse. Stone takes this immense emotionally and physically demanding role and brings it to life with ease like no other. From her wild dances and savage fights to the recontextualization of her autonomy, Stone offers up a masterclass in the art of transformation and immersion. Pairing perfectly with Ruffalo’s bombastic performance as the pompous Duncan Wedderburn - a character who is hysterically horrible and always under the assumption that he is owed whatever futile pleasures he’s fixated on. Their performances - in particular Emma Stone’s - are the beating heart of the film’s success.
Yorgos Lanthimos has achieved an engrossing work of unparalleled artistry. Through Bella, he skillfully captures the time lapse growth of autonomy, making the audience acutely aware of how a society built on stifling propriety often shames the pursuit of personal power and knowledge. Bella's journey for freedom and self-discovery is nothing short of enchanting. This film is not only a visual feast with its stellar production design, transporting viewers to a meticulously detailed, gothic world, but also a testament to the remarkable synergy between Stone and Lanthimos. Their collaboration is like lightning in a bottle, resulting in a cinematic experience that is undoubtedly the best you will see all year.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 2 | Story and Message - 2| Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 2 | Reviewer's Preference - 2 | What does this mean?