It might be early into 2024 but the proclamation sounds that Poor Things is the best film of the year (so far).
Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, Poor Things was released in December 2023, but didn’t hit the theatres in the UK until January 12. It has already raked in several awards and with good reason. The movie is an adaptation of the influential Scottish writer Alasdair Gray’s novel of the same name.
If there are two things to make note of it is the stunning set designs and overindulgent costumes, and the cast performances found among Hollywood A-listers.
For the movie is speckled with stardust. ‘Beautiful retards’ and ‘pretty morons’ navigating in polite society found in Emma Stone’s Bella Baxter and Mark Ruffalo’s Duncan Wedderburn; an overprotective and caring Victor Frankenstein-like father in Willem Dafoe’s Dr Godwin Baxter (fittingly referred to as ‘God’ by Bella); and the adoring and understanding Max McCandles portrayed by Ramy Youssef.
It is difficult to pick which is the best when each is so different. Nevertheless, the performance of a fully grown woman with an infant’s brain sounds like something which could easily be turned into a caricature of a poorly behaved child. Yet Stone’s skilful performance of Bella Baxter results in the most likable woman-child.
Raised and created by Dr Godwin Baxter in what can best be described as a reverse Frankenstein (where the monster is beautiful and the creator less so), Bella lives only inside the house and always supervised due to her infant brain. As her mental age is catching up to her body, she sets out to find out what person Bella Baxter is.
She discovers all of life’s pleasures in sex (which she describes as ‘furious jumping’) and Portuguese Pastel de Nata. She develops empathy, discovers philosophy, science and socialism, as well as a naïve self-awareness of her position as a woman in the world. And finally, the full vocabulary of an adult.
As Bella becomes more and more of a grown up, it would seem that her counterpart, Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), is the one to turn into the poorly behaved child. The air is thick with hypocrisy and Duncan is finally shown to be the true moron.
Poor Things is cleverly funny, leaning into those astute comments of wisdom that children so often say. Every interaction between Ruffalo and Stone is a testament to why manuscript writing is perhaps the most important element of film-making.
Written by Tony McNamara (The Favourite; The Great), absurdity and foul language finds its way into a setting where politeness and poise are expected but never received. Niceties are stripped away to make room for what we all really long for – to say whatever the hell is on our minds. A sort of second-hand catharsis.
The movie is as bonkers as it is beautiful. Early scenes are in black and white with uneasy fisheye shots, as if someone else is watching on. But as soon as Bella discovers the real world, and her body, a kaleidoscopic array of places open up to her.
Rooted in Victorian London (instead of Gray’s original Glasgow), Yorgos Lanthimos takes his audience on a surreal journey to Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris. Never fully committed to one style, but rather walking hand-in-hand, elements of sci-fi and period drama makes for a wonderfully engaging and trippy experience.
It is evident that Lanthimos put everything into this movie. It is an indulging mouthful, where just like the Pastel de Nata, any more would be too much.
Poor Things is saturated with costumes, colours, acting and directing, and better still, it requires a thinking brain to enjoy every detail. Yet it has found its place in an unsaturated market of film categories, and at the award shows.
Featured Image Credit: Searchlight