A REVIEW
Carol Schaye
“Poor Things” is a 2023 film directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and written by Tony McNamara, based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray.
The film stars Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael. It focuses on Bella Baxter, a young woman in Victorian London who is brought back to life via brain transplant and embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery.(1)
It didn’t take long to suspect that “Poor Things” was based on a novel. As I have noted with other prose-adapted films, the filmmaker neglected to adapt the prose into Aristotle’s form, thus leaving me and my companion bored after about ten minutes into the film.
Don’t let that comment deter you from seeing, “Poor Things.”
Lacking classic structure does not bring the entire film down, it just takes away from what otherwise is a witty, first-rate production.
The set designs are exquisite, the cinematography is fascinating, the direction is right on, comedic and tragic all at once, and the acting is impeccable. I watched in amazement as Emma Stone created a two-year-old child in her grown-up woman’s body. Every physical movement and style of speech was perfection.
Throughout the film Ms. Stone evolves into a grown-up independent woman, discarding the restraints of both Victorian England as well as the many men who are captivated by her along her journey.
Supported by the likes of Mark Ruffalo, who is a cad intrigued by Ms. Baxter (Ms. Stone), this is a Mark Ruffalo like no other. The talented actor goes from being a distant cad to an obsessed crazed lover and it is a joy to behold. A student of Stella Adler’s Conservatory of Acting (a member of the Group Theater), my favorite work until now of Ruffalo is “Shutter Island” directed by Martin Scorsese.
In “Poor Things” Ruffalo can develop a comic absurdist character which until now I’ve not seen him do. Ruffalo makes his frantic desperate attempt to continue to seduce Bella (Ms. Stone, who is developing self-knowledge and growing away from him) believable as well as funny.
Ruffalo also has a theater background. He co-founded the Orpheus Theater Company. With the theater company, he wrote, directed, and starred in several plays.
As the two characters travel on a ship around the world, we watch as Ms. Baxter (Ms. Stone) encounters life situations for the first time, embraces them, views them with a childlike maturing perspective, and then moves on. When she has her first sexual experience with Ruffalo she names it, “Furious jumping”, as she does not know any name for it. That humor is consistent throughout the film as MS. Baxter learns she might get paid for, “Furious jumping” and is thrilled to embrace being a prostitute for a while on her road to awareness.
There is plenty of nudity (mostly on Ms. Stone’s part) which feels fine since it is incorporated into her character, who does not know conventional shame.
Willem Dafoe is cast as the slightly mad surgeon who implants a child’s brain into Bella Butler’s head after she has died, then raises her as his own. Dafoe who has had a long career with many remarkable parts was wasted in this film as his character had one
purpose (to raise Bella) and Dafoe didn’t seem convincing as a mad scientist. “Poor Things” required a commitment to reality along with a commitment to absurdity and it is the absurdity Dafoe lacked. He is a trained actor, also having created an experimental theater company in New York City. He was able to capture what was missing in this film in the film, “Shadow of The Vampire” which scared me for months afterward.
“Poor Things” is a tribute to women, learning to embrace their sexuality, embrace their independence, educate themselves, and not be afraid to be equally as smart as the men in their lives
There was a time years ago when a woman with a bachelor’s degree was far less likely to find a husband than one without, when women were not supposed to be funny or too smart.
“Poor Things” makes fun of that past as the heroine grows up and embraces her equality with the men in her life.
Emma Stone’s performance was nuanced and risky. Good work Emma.
Carol Schaye has had several short stories published by McFadden’s Women’s Group, Sierra Nevada Ally and other publications. Carol has written for two west coast newspapers and has worked extensively in television. A fan of Flannery O’Connor, Carol studied acting with Lee Strasberg and Austin Pendleton and writing with Salem Ludwig. She attended Marymount College majoring in theater.
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