Poor Things

…and Edward Scissorhands found the love of his life in Bella… The intellectual Yorgos Lanthimos in the fantastical world of Tim Burton with a considerable portion of sex, the socially hot topic of emancipation and framing in an artistic form for the highest film awards. Distinctive humor spiked with a bizarre parable about growing up and awareness of the feminine self. A delightful black-and-white paraphrase of Frankenstein with a brilliant depiction of the instinctive behavior of a curious childlike mind in an adult body with its physical needs. The aptly depicted process of the downfall of male rationality and ego after falling in love with a sexually animalistic and mentally unstable woman. Poor Things has the sole of a European arthouse delicacy that all Hollywood actors long four. I may or may not give it a fifth star in due time. A lot of scenes struck me as overly strained and not as funny as most of the guffawing audience found them to be. [Sitges Film Festival] (2023-10-16)

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. (2024-02-18)

It has been a long time since a performance has captivated me as much as Emma Stone's here. I was cautious, because Yorgos Lanthimos's The Favourite didn't impress me as much as the rest of the world five years ago, and yet at least on the surface it seemed like a relatively normal film. Poor Things isn’t like that, it was immensely enjoyable from the opening scene. Victorian surrealism, strange scenes alternating with stranger ones, and gradually everything starts to make sense, but you still have no idea where it's going. I'm sure the film is brimming with all sorts of psychological and philosophical meanings; double, triple and multiple meanings that can be gradually revealed, but aren't necessary. It can stand without them and conveys its message easily to everyone, however bizarre the story and its protagonists are. (2024-01-12)

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. (2024-01-29)

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. (2024-01-26)