Director Yorgos Lanthimos does not make movies for everybody. However, if his films like The Lobster or The Favourite clicked for you in the past, then maybe you’ll be on the necessary wavelength to appreciate his new film, Poor Things. While many of Lanthimos’s trademarks are apparent in this film, the aesthetic of this one leans more towards filmmaker Jean-Pierre Jeunet’s film City of Lost Children. The color palate is almost that of a twisted Wes Anderson, which pairs well with the other elements in Lanthimos’s style.
Poor Things follows the rebirth of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) after being brought back to life by the brilliant and uniquely odd scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). However, Dr. Baxter stifles Bella’s exploration, and – despite being betrothed to Baxter’s assistant, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) – she runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) on a wild adventure. Bella experiences life through unfiltered eyes, and enters everything with a sense of wonder as she can develop into her own, independent being.
As with most Lanthimos films, it is as funny as it is biting. Some moments will likely make audiences squirm in discomfort, only for moments later to have those on his wavelength bursting out with laughter. Bella initially behaves much like an infant; Stone even manages to capture the awkward walking mannerisms of a young child. She wanders in as Baxter is performing surgery, and she, too, wants to cut. He reminds her “only on the dead ones” (speaking of the cadavers in the room) which she stabs at much like an infant smashing the food on its plate. Unsettling, and yet hard not to laugh at the absurdity on screen.
Stone is fearless in this performance. Her ability to morph and change throughout the film is incredible. While her physicality adjusts as Bella becomes more comfortable in her own skin, it’s also in her eyes. There is so much to be read about the inner thoughts of Bella through Stone’s well-renowned eyes. There is an absence of knowing when we first meet Bella, which is completely gone by the end of the movie. She can somehow convey the character’s growth from an empty vessel, to world-weary, to unabashedly confident – just by looking at her eyes. Every aspect of the performance is meaningful and frequently brave. Brave, because she’s asked to be exposed in a multitude of awkward moments, and yet they always feel at service to the story.
While Stone is the star, Ruffalo, Dafoe, and Youssef are all equally incredible. Ruffalo brings so much humor along with his performance. The arrogance of his character is a great foil to the innocence of Bella. As she inadvertently changes his outlook on relationships, it only becomes funnier.
Dafoe is always able to bring a multitude of layers to his characters, and that is even more vital here. A major aspect of Bella’s journey is rooted in her creation, and the sheer monstrous ideas that Dr. Baxter represents could make the character irredeemable if portrayed by a lesser actor. Instead, Dafoe can bring a real heart to the role – and a lot of humor.
Needless to say, Poor Things is another Lanthimos masterpiece. It will surely rub many the wrong way, but it’s full of great production design, costumes, humor, and performances. There are layers of content to peel back and ponder.
Poor Things is in theaters on December 8
Rating: Must See
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