Poor Things
Holiday malaise is common, and we search for antidotes. Or just anything that begins with “anti.” For those of us with a perverse sense of humor, the film Poor Things is the perfect way to celebrate the end of the season. The movie is provocative, ribald, wry, wise, feminist, and satiric. Emma Stone attains giddy new heights portraying Bella, a creature that would warm the heart of Mary Shelley. Not coincidentally, Bella’s creator/father figure (played with surgical precision by Willem Dafoe) is named Godwin: the surname of Mary Shelley’s father. But enough (God)winking at clever literary references. Let’s get to the meat on those reconstructed reanimated bones.
Poor Things is based on the eponymous novel written by Scottish scribe Alasdair Gray. The screenplay by Tony McNamara deviates from the structure of the book for cinematic purposes but maintains much of the essence of its wild sensibilities and arch social commentary. Like the hybridism of protagonist Bella, the narrative could be construed as a blend of Shelley’s Frankenstein and George Bernard Shaw’s play Pygmalion. With background music provided by Cyndi Lauper singing “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun.” And to segue from that musical note, this year delivered a financial windfall for the Barbie movie, driven in part by the Barbenheimer phenomenon. One can only wish for a melodious mashup of Poor Things and Barbie in which the introspective manufactured female protagonists have a duet of a reflective song from the Barbie film: “What Was I Made For?”
Back to the film at hand, Poor Things pushes the envelope in terms of rampant raunchiness. Nudity abounds in this corset busting Steampunk extravaganza. Child-like Bella is sexually voracious. Her masturbatory abandon comes to the attention of a sleazy lawyer, portrayed with zealous gusto by Mark Ruffalo, who is more than willing to educate her in an array of sensual pleasures. Her voraciousness is initially satisfying to him. However, he is limited in his ability to satisfy her insatiable appetite for sex…and for new experiences. As Bella mentally and emotionally matures, her reasoning skills are enhanced. Defiant from her inception, she eventually learns to intelligently express herself and make logical decisions. This proves literally maddening for her lover who seeks to control her. Holy Henry Higgins!
Technically, the film is sublime: The large art direction team does an extraordinary job evoking surreal Victoriana. Holly Waddington’s splendid costumes surreptitiously reveal character aspects. Robbie Ryan’s cinematography craftily plays upon the voyeuristic nature of the narrative. Jerskin Fendrix’s musical score punctuates the story. The makeup department’s work is transformational. And special kudos to the special effects crew who put together highly amusing and disturbing hybrid mad scientist creations. Tying all of this together is, of course, the director. Yorgos Lanthimos makes quirky and lauded films. He is a critics’ darling who capitalizes on outrageousness done in arty style. While I was skeptical of his reputation as a brilliant auteur, the only film of his that I’d previously seen was The Favourite which had a certain eccentric appeal, I am a great fan of Emma Stone who appeared in that movie. Their working relationship went far beyond the proverbial extra mile in Poor Things. It required a lot of trust on the part of Stone to deliver the needed audacity. With Poor Things, Stone took lots of acting risks and displayed incredible range. There are many reasons to praise the film. At the top of the list is her. And yes, Yorgos Lanthimos.
