Poor Things (2023) - Review
Yorgos Lanthimos’ Dr. Seussian topiary of earthly delights; dogs with duck heads, duck dogs, man-bear-pigs roam the gardens and halls of the filmmakers new hit Poor Things. It is at times a startling and equal parts expected direction for the artist to take with the dazzling kaleidoscopic use of colors in contrast to earlier works such as The Lobster and Killing of a Sacred Deer, yet the sardonic wit and at times unbearably discomforting dark humor are in full display. The reunion of Lanthimos and Emma Stone again shows a match made in heaven, with the former’s knack for macabre storytelling and the latter’s humorous sensibilities.
The narrative begins with swinging music of the old Hollywood era of monster mash fame, as Emma Stone’s character stands atop a bridge awaiting to jump. Immediately we are thrust into the black and white world (presumably back in time) to grow along side Emma Stone’s character, who is named Bella by the mad scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter played by Willem Dafoe, whom Bella aptly calls God throughout her ‘childhood’. In a fun twist to the expected dramatic irony, the beginning of the film is just that, the beginning, not a flashforward. God finds the sorried woman washed up on the shores from a suicide attempt barely alive, not only that, but her pregnancy as well. Now, what does this God do? As expected, takes the brain of the unborn baby and placing it in the mother’s body. Hence, Bella, her own mother and child, solely of her own.
Much of the discoveries surrounding her origin in the first act of the narrative comes about the new disciple and surgeon in training to God’s grotesque experiments, the young Baxter. After he is asked to help to help in the old man’s research, he meets the young (?) Bella and slips from his mouth, “What a beautiful retard.” It is in this encounter that we are thrust into the odd wanderings and exploitative chance encounters in Bella coming of age through the fantastical London and European escapades she endures.
As expected, and as others have alluded to, there can be what some may find discomforting in Poor Things (however that can really be said about any of the filmmaker’s works). What is essentially a child from the perspective of the viewer, and to many of the characters in the narrative, Bella undergoes a sexual odyssey of self-discovery around the continent. What is innocuous for Bella, making love to her partner and others, she fails to see the predatory and exploitative nature of those lingering in her midst. The sexual exploitation is there, and may rub some people the wrong way so beware, but to I there is grace and respect to the characters that approaches those themes responsibly without faltering to vulgarity.
Of those characters taking advantage of Bella is the deliciously pathetic Duncan Wedderburn played by Mark Ruffalo. Unexpectedly he steals away many of the scenes with his oiled, combover hair and puffed-up ephemeral airs that all are ruffled and jostled when he doesn’t get his way. And quite often, he doesn’t. Ruffalo is a stand out, and expectedly, Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe are perfect castings for the work. The former’s history of dark romantic comedies with sardonic twang, and the latter’s work of transformation into play-esque character pieces lends to the odd fantastical world of Lanthimos’ creation. The soft-spoken role of Baxter by Ramy Youssef is a nice compliment to the oddballs in his life.
As many have seen and can easily see in promotional material, the film is beautiful, gob smacking. The surging electricity in God’s maddened creation would make Tesla raise a brow. The steam-punk city scape was often caught my attention, but the pastiche swirls of cream clouds in the sky locked my eyes in placce. And just as there is beauty and pleasure in the world as relished by Bella, there is horror as well, as the red pits of Alexandria shows slaves withering away hungry. In combination with the special effects to capture the landscapes, the photography of the picture utilized very wide lenses for some full tracking shots as Bella wandered forests with her companions. As well to boot, there were a few portrait shots captured with what felt like a Helios lens which resulted in the out-of-focus bokeh to form in swirls around the subject. It seems as of late more big productions have been making use of this, like Matt Reeves’ Batman.
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Poor Things is beautiful, discomforting, harrowing, and heartwarming. Some may be dismayed to the childlike adventure of the character, and others dissatisfied by what is in all intents and purposes a fairly tradition coming of age tale. They are home, go away from home to learn, then come back with all they discovered. The world and characters may not be enough to pull on in, but open your mind (as God did to Bella) you will be enthused by the wandering ramblings of this odd parade.
