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Rating: 4.75 out of 5
Yooooooooo!! I have seen a lot of movies during my lifetime. Some movies have been great, and some have been all over the place. That is why I love movies. Like the Forrest Gump quote, “Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get.” That is what watching Poor Things was for me. Before watching it, the only thing that I knew about it was that Emma Stone won her second Academy Award. I had no idea what was about to descend upon me. This film is CRAZY but visually stunning, and boy, there is a lot of sex in this film. I want you to think of Frankenstein mixed with some other stuff with a journey of self-discovery. Emma Stone shows EVERYTHING!!
Poor Things is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray. Set in Victoria London, we are introduced to Max McCandles (Youssef), what a freakin name, a medical student who manages to become an assistant to crazy, eccentric, and Frankenstein-looking surgeon Godwin Baxter (Dafoe). Godwin is freakin strange as when he burps, a large bubble comes from his mouth like it’s a typical day. Godwin plays a mad scientist as he has many animals with different brains running around. It is a sight to see, like a weird circus. Dude is giving Dr. Frankenstein a run for his money. Max meets and falls in love with a young woman named Bella (Stone). Godwin states that Bella is not what she seems. She was pregnant and decided to kill herself by jumping from a bridge. Godwin resurrects her by replacing some of her brain with that of an infant. This results in Bella thinking like a child and having to relearn everything, but she has zero memory of her past life.
Bella’s self-discovery begins as her intelligence rapidly develops. One day, she is like a five-year-old, and the next homegirl is spitting some major theoretical and psychological knowledge. She starts craving autonomy and decides that he wants to peace out. Her decision is to run off with lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Ruffalo), and they start getting it on. I’m talking about many sex sessions. Homegirl has the endurance of a freakin world class sex champion because she be getting it in. With Bella gone, Godwin starts a new experiment with a young girl named Felicity (Qualley), but she disappoints Godwin at every turn.
Bella and Duncan go on a grand adventure starting in Lisbon, but with each stop, the film shows that Bella’s curiosity grows by the day. In Lisbon, she becomes difficult to control and does what Bella wants. She wants to be independent, and you can’t hold her down in any way. Duncan wants to control Bella and decides to take her on a cruise to a new place. On this cruise ship, Bella meets and strikes up a friendship with passengers Martha and Harry. These two completely change Bella’s mind by introducing her to philosophy. At the stop at Alexandria, Bella’s mind is blown by the poverty, and she donates all of Duncan’s money.
Bella and Duncan are kicked off the ship at Marseille and make their way to Paris. This is where shit gets crazy in this crazy movie. To make money, Bella starts working at a brothel. She becomes under the wing of Madame Swiney and befriends fellow prostitute Toinette. Both blow Bella’s mind by introducing her to socialism but also to her body from the love of a female.
I’ll leave the ending for you to watch as you discover the reasons for Bella’s past. The story of self-discovery, what the body wants to explore, and how the world influences one perspective is great. This film is highly enjoyable and should be watched, as it has a ton of themes. I will say that the sex and nudity might throw some people off and turn them away, but who cares about them. Be independent and watch this film because you will learn a lot.
I have to give a shout-out to the visuals of this film. Honestly, the visuals add to how crazy this film is. Being in Godwin’s house is crazy, as he has all these animals with different brains running around. It was a sight to see. What I love about this film and the visuals is that each place Bella goes to is different in some shape or form. Each place has a particular filter or design that makes it noticeable and lets you know that things will differ. With each stop, the visuals help with Bella’s mindset. As she grows, it becomes brighter; if she sees something terrible, it becomes gloomy and sad.
The acting in this film was a highlight also. First, Willem Dafoe as Dr. Godwin Baxter was interesting in this role. Playing the mad scientists who do whatever he wants. Sometimes, he seems cold-blooded, and other times, he is a loving father-type figure. Yet, in the end, this Frankenstein-looking dude is crazy. Mark Ruffalo as Duncan Wedderburn was a scoundrel. It’s probably because he is a lawyer. He is controlling, but dude loved getting it on with Bella.
I want to give the highest praise to Emma Stone as Bella Baxter/Victoria Blessington. Stone’s performance was excellent and a joy to watch. First, I want to give Stone props for showing all. She went all out, showing every inch of her fantastic body, and she shouldn’t be shamed about it. Stone’s acting was amazing. When she first started as Bella, she acted like a little kid, but as time passed, she switched her acting to more intelligence in the character. One of the best in Stone’s career.
Poor Things is different from its title. It is one of the best films and is enjoyable to watch. You won’t expect it in terms of story, visuals, and themes, but you will be impressed with the overall film. Stone is a joy to watch, along with many of the other actors and actresses. Give this film a major chance because you won’t be disappointed.
