Poor Things

Karel Zeman for the 21st century, or the emancipation of the Bride of Frankenstein through an original "porn satire" that manages to cut to the quick again and again; sometimes literally. Emma Stone gives such a masterful performance that if I were her husband, I wouldn't be doubly sure if she doesn't top it at home as well. (01/25/2024)

Poor Things is Yorgos Lanthimos’s most extravagant film yet, and that’s saying a lot. One of the most distinctive contemporary filmmakers properly broke free of his chains and, furthermore, had a lot of money to bring his far-out visions to life. The result is a complex, impertinently entertaining and bountifully bizarre comedy with a Frankenstein motive about one woman’s emancipatory journey to get to know the world and herself. A woman with the body of an adult and the mind of her own unborn child, whom we follow through a narrative arranged in chapters during her travels around Europe, as she breaks every conceivable social convention, gradually tripping up the patriarchy and finally putting a knife in its back as she undergoes complete accelerated development from a curious toddler to a naïve adolescent to an eloquent intellectual with her own clear opinion on the state of things. With its intelligent dialogue, well-thought-out concept, topical subject, intoxicating visuals, gripping acting performances, devilishly morbid ideas and a lot of nudity, Poor Things is like a fine wine. Oscar nominations are inevitable. (10/12/2023)

Poor Things doesn't deny the inspiration of “Frankenstein” and it certainly doesn't deny Yorgos Lanthimos' distinctive directorial style, which is unique in contemporary cinema. For two and a quarter hours, we have the amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves in a futuristically conceived Victorian world, in the centre of which is Bella, whose mind is an "unwritten book" in whose pages an emancipatory adventure of unprecedented proportions begins to unfold. Artistically, it is a polished piece of work, where more than one suggestive scene could be displayed in a museum as a treasured painting. Besides the strange camera angles and dreamlike filters, I enjoyed the (un)chaste costumes of Bella and her creations immensely. In terms of acting, I have nothing to fault the film. The driving force of the whole story is of course Emma Stone, who handles her role without any shame, and she is wonderfully seconded by the "Frankenstein" Willem Dafoe and the womanizer Mark Ruffalo, who ends up driven almost crazy by a skirt. It was engaging to watch Bella's mental development: from "baby" steps and a few words, to a physically intense exploration of her own body and sexuality, to a fully aware and confident view of the (twisted) world with a philosophical overlay. Despite its seemingly artsy style, Poor Things has the potential to appeal to a wide audience and is certainly not afraid to grab the patriarchy by the balls and give them a shake. (02/17/2024)

The Daughter of Frankenstein and her emancipatory odyssey across Europe and the Mediterranean. Once again, Yorgos Lanthimos presents us with a fragment from a twisted fantasy world, but one that bears more parallels to our own than one might first expect. The story focuses on the development of the character Bella, who is brought back to life after death by a peculiar scientist, whereupon, with the brain of a child, she learns about the world and gradually develops in all directions, even those that could be described as taboo. Emma Stone gives a masterful performance, and her character packs on more and more layers as the minutes pass until the triumphant finale. This engaging, visually extravagant and humorous film about the journey of an original protagonists of real-world discovery and gradual emancipation will definitely not bore you for a moment. (10/12/2023)

The current hit by Yorgos Lanthimos, nominated for an extraordinary number of awards, is based on Alasdair Gray's book "Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer" (1992). Gray is often compared to James Joyce, and that is why it is so easy to succumb to the impression of Lanthimos' genius, whose contribution, however, lies only in the combination of Gray's pseudo-Victorian novel with Frankenhooker (1990) by Frank Henenlotter. I perceive many other references, whether it's Freaks or Elephant Man, but the whole is an exceptionally charming pastiche. There is no need to elaborate on the magical performances of Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Hanna Schygulla, and Margaret Qualley because it must have been a joy to work on such a creative film. Mary Shelley would surely be thrilled. (01/29/2024)