Poor Things - Movie Review

The Movie: Poor Things

The Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

The Cast: Cast: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, Suzy Bemba, Jerrod Carmichael, Kathryn Hunter, Vicki Pepperdine, Margaret Qualley, Hanna Schygulla

The Story: The fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter; a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter.

The Review:

Okay, this is a very strange movie. It's a very beautiful movie. It can be at times difficult to watch and, at others, a completely brilliant viewing experience. There's a lot going on here. It's first and foremost a fantasy tale and then it is also a scathing social commentary that absolutely burns down a lot of patriarchal constructs in how they relate to a woman's sexuality. Yes, that sounds like a lot and it is but it never feels heavy handed or preachy thanks to a light hearted, almost whimsical tone along with Bella Baxter's relentless pursuit of experience.

After watching Emma Stone bring Bella to life, I don't know if I would ever want anyone else to ever play this role in any form as she absolutely owns every single moment she is on screen and I would imagine that she'll be receiving a pile of awards nominations to go along with it. Bella is one of the most unique characters I have ever seen and yet also very familiar as the whole story is sort of a twist on Frankenstein's monster, I mean if the monsterous creation was a woman completely unaffected by societal expectations. That'll make sense as you watch the movie. And you really should watch this movie.

Mark Ruffalo is also really fun to watch as he plays what basically represents the male ego as it gets completely demolished and destroyed by Bella's onslought of not giving a flying you know what. The entire movie is actually really funny thanks to some of the smartest dialog I've seen in a long time. Bella has some great lines although this is where Willem Defoe really gets to shine with a steady stream of wit and sarcasm that is just hilarious at every turn. Big shout out to Tony McNamara and Alasdair Gray who wrote this story and I'll give them a lot of credit for the tone and attitude that the movie exhibits throughout.

I know this movie sounds pretty wid and hard to make sense ofand it kind of is but that's also what makes it so good. It draws you in on so many different levels and you can't help but hang on every moment to see what happens next whether it's an unexpected story beat, a line of dialog, or a visually stunning backdrop. You won't be able to take your eyes off of this movie. If you want a comparison with other stories, the first thing that comes to mind is that it's a cross between Alice in Wonderland and Life of Pi.

There's a lot of metaphor and allegory wrapped in to this fantasy tale and the creators use every bit of that to tell a story that is as striking to digest mentally and emotionally as it is to take in visually. Please see this movie in a theater, it's the one regret I have only seeing it on my computer at home although I may fix that soon if I'm able. I'm just as interested in audience reactions to the story as I am with my own sensory reactions to such a beautifully and brilliantly crafted experience.

I think that kind of nails it right there. This isn't just a movie, it's an experience. It'll run you through so many thoughts and emotions and hopefully it also makes you genuinely consider everything the story is trying to say. As I type this, I'm thinking about where the movie is going to land among my other favorites of the year and I feel like I can safely say it will end up near the top of that list.