With Emma Stone’s Oscar win for the movie Poor Things, more people will probably be checking out the movie, which is a little Freaks, a little Island of Dr. Moreau and a whole lot of Frankenstein.
But this time Frankenstein is a woman named Bella Baxter, exploring and exploiting her sexuality. In other words, definitely NOT a family film. Put the kids to bed before watching this one.
Click here to watch Poor Things on Amazon
Poor Things, from acclaimed filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos, is currently available from all major digital retailers including Prime Video, Apple TV and Vudu and will be available on Blu-ray and DVD from March 12, with exclusive bonus content.
It is based on a book of the same name by Alasdair Gray, available in paperback, kindle and audio book.
Poor Things: Hard to Watch, Hard to Look Away
Spoiler Alert: I can’t possibly talk about this movie without giving away some details that are main plots of the film. If you want to watch it with a clean slate- stop reading.
Poor Things starts in black & white, and later moves to color as Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) comes to life herself. She is the Franeksteinesque product of mad scientist/doctor Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), whom she just refers to as “God.” (As a side note, I always thought his name was William until now and thought the PR release had a typo. It did not.)
The movie gives an unflinching look at her development from child-like reanimated corpse to liberated sexual being, while pushing the limits of puffy sleeved attire. At first, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep watching, as there were many “ew” kind of moments. Godwin’s stories of his own father’s experiments on him, and the grotesque results are particularly brutal. But I kept going back to finish it and find out what happens to Bella in the end.
Bella toddles around like a child with violent tendencies in the beginning, learning to speak and interact with others. She is rough around the edges, with a near mono-brow and bumbling walk. But she advances quickly and catches the attention of dinner guest Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a “slick and debauched” lawyer, who becomes obsessed and steals her away for an adventure spanning several continents.
It is during her adventures that she begins to read and learn about the world outside of “God’s” house. As her mind develops, she retains a detached sort of persona, viewing the world as more of a scientist than an empathetic being. Many of her actions are rooted in experimentation.
Even the camera at times gives the viewer a detached voyeuristic feeling, as the scenes are occasionally confined to a fisheye view as though you are peeping through a hole in the wall, watching the horrors unfold.
The Rise and Fall of Bella Baxter
As a woman with limited resources and a healthy sexual appetite, Bella goes off on her own and finds work in a Parisian bordello, while Wedderburn falls deeper into his maniacal obsession.
It is there that she learns more about the world and the way of men, makes connections with her fellow courtesans and begins to attend school. Be prepared for a lot of full-frontal nudity, “furious jumping” and an unflinching look at life in a whorehouse.
Eventually, Bella desires to return home and to the medical student she had been engaged to at the time of her spontaneous departure. Things do not go quite as planned as she learns of her origins and her body’s past comes back to haunt her new persona.
I’ll have to leave it at that, so not too much is given away about the story!
The movie is intriguing, and at times gross enough for you to want to look away. But Bella keeps making you look back and keep watching. This one is not for the squeamish.
Click here to watch Poor Things on Amazon
Watch the Poor Things trailer:
Discover more from Geek Mamas
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Culture, Movies & TV
Very odd sounding story. The old not being able to look away from a train wreck analogy comes to mind. I’m sure there’s some hint of a social message in it somewhere, but it SOUNDS like a thinly veiled excuse to put some of people’s darker tendencies to film more for titillation.
Although I suppose I should watch it before making such judgments. I just know Hollywood loves any excuse to get actresses naked and call it art.
There are some things that are done that seem like it’s purely for shock value. The trainwreck analogy was the first thing to come to mind while watching it. It’s definitely something to watch and draw your own conclusions. It took me several attempts to watch the whole thing, lol.
Understandable. Hollywood is nothing if not predictable, lol. I may give it a watch at some point in the near future just to be fair and out of morbid curiosity. Me initial reaction to your description was some Hollywood producer pitching an idea on how to sexualize Frankenstein for profit though.
Well, it is done in a sort of way that’s not exactly “sexy”. But still it’s a bit much, lol.
🤔 Believe it or not, that movie is on my to-watch list; I plan on looking at it soon.
It’s guaranteed to make you cringe a bit, lol. I’d be interested to hear your opinion after watching it!
I suppose I’m going to HAVE TO watch it now, just to see how far off my biases might have been
Great review! I’m really looking forward to watching this one. Yorgos Lanthimos is a filmmaker with an unusual style that is definitely acquired taste. That being said, I adore Emma Stone who has been one of the most proficient actresses of her generation. I loved her performance in Damien Chazelle’s “La La Land”.
I am a fan of Emma Stone as well! She does an excellent job with this character. The movie made me cringe at times, but I kept going back because I had to see the whole story.
That’s good to hear. I’m definitely looking forward to watching it. I’m certain I will enjoy it if for no other reason but Emma Stone’s acting.
So I finally had the opportunity to see this movie and enjoyed it. Definitely a strange film that isn’t going to please everyone but I related to its message about feminism. It reminded me a lot of “The Shape of Water”, which is one of my favorite films of all time. Both films focus on strong female characters that search for identity in a fantastical world.
Great review once again. I finally had an opportunity to see this movie and absolutely adored it. It’s without a doubt a strange film that isn’t going to please everyone. That being said, I connected towards its powerful message about feminism. You were spot on in saying it will stick with you, because I have not been able to get it out of my mind. It did make me cringe at times as well but overall I loved it.
Good review. Pretty much what I figured the film would be like. I am currently trying to finish watching The Lobster and having a similar experience. It’s very detached and honest and hard to watch in spots. I have to take breaks and come back to it. Not exactly the one you want to pop on at the end the day. Definitely want to check out this film too…just wondering when the right time will be. lol Thanks for the insight!
I hadn’t heard of The Lobster so I looked it up! I see it is directed by the same guy as Poor Things. Not sure if I even want to attempt that, lol.
Ha! Yeah I don’t blame you. I’ve come too far at this point. I have to find out how it ends.
I totally understand that!