What should be the Oscar winner of this year. It knockouts Cronenberg and The Holdovers, as it covers similar themes much better.
Not for everyone, amazing, great cast, Emma did an excellent job, the development of the film is precious. The story and how it explains many things is incredible. However, I felt there were a lot of unnecessary sex scenes. Amazing cinema experience!
I know I have to write some words before you can post, but holy crap after 25 minutes I was done, this is really bad silly weaklings movie! Waisted my time but go ahead and waist your time
Watched the movie yesterday evening at a cinema.
If I wanted to be mean, I would call this movie an artistical porn. But I'll be good and say that everything in the movie is "beautiful" exceptr the horible music and in general sound. Oh my god, it was just noise.
Aside those aspected, the idea of the movie is great and innovative. The world created is somehow different but let's be honest, it's just normal fictional world without something really fancy. It also looks like a rip off from some schience fiction during the mid period of industrial revolution. Still, the world as it is present is a work of art. Looks like a constant painting, though it is not too much liking because actually it is HDRed 1000 times and I don't like the HDR effect.
The movie lost my interest quite early around the 1/4th. Maybe it was the music, which I still find horrible. What I didn't like about the movie is that it was trying to hard, it was unnecessarily slow and repeatative. Worst of all, was the unnecessary volume of nudity and sex, interupted with gross scenes. When it happened way too much, I was mentally off to be honest and the greatness of the idea was just lost. I trully believe that the art of a director is to imply the emotion to the audience, instead of bombarding with the actual raw footage.
if the movie tried less to show itself, it might have been the excellence that they are promoting it to be. It has the script nailed anyhow. It has been a long time since I last watched a bad "cultural" movie, not because it was bad and pretentious but because it would stretch everything so much, it would try so hard innevitably killing the excellent ideas.
What a waste? Who made the music score really?
Fuck it, five stars.
Far and away the best film of the year, and Yorgos's best too - possibly his 'magnum opus' whatever that means.
Jerrod Carmichael seems like such ideal casting for supporting roles; he's hilarious here and fully nails his character.
I want to watch this everyday.
An interesting mix of steampunk and Frankenstein. Emma will probably win an Oscar?
The thing about Poor Things is that sometimes is just a bit too much about everything and nothing at once. But in a way, that is what director Yorgos Lanthimos knows how to do best. Emma Stone delivers, without question, one of the best performances of her career by bringing Bella Baxter to life. Her colorful and visually stunning journey through the gorgeous and surrealist versions of London, Lisbon, Alexandria and Paris is every bit funny, nasty, grotesque, dark, sad and emotional. I love the structure of the entire story, how it evolves with color, by development and world building through Bella’s experiences. As the main character discovers hard truths about the world, we get to know fascinating and bizarre characters all around her, with truly remarkable perfomances of the entire cast. At the very end, is a film about female liberation, sex, love, obssesion and science that may not be everyone’s cup of tea but that is ok for me.
While pitch-black humor has always been a defining element of Lanthimos' films, his approach has typically leaned towards subtlety and wryness, often paired with deadpan delivery. However, in "Poor Things," there is a noticeable shift towards more straightforward comedy, eliciting laughter from the audience with many moments of humor. Even when the jokes are on the silly and juvenile side, the overall impression is that of encountering a sophisticated work, where the context and, notably, the entire visual and expressive dimension play a crucial role. The runtime could have been more compact (it tires a little towards the end), but we are undoubtedly facing a film playing in a league of its own, capable of fascinating a wide audience despite its quirks and exaggerations. It’s a shame the first part is in black and white, which flattens the stunning visuals and colors of the sets and costumes.
Rated a Connor 10, normal 9
A Surreal Journey of Self and Society
In Yorgos Lanthimos' "Poor Things," the film's opening enigma gradually transforms into a profound exploration of identity, manipulation, and the quest for autonomy. The story of Bella (Emma Stone) is a symbolic journey through a surreal Victorian landscape, where her early life in Godwin Baxter's mansion serves as a microcosm of her broader experience with male figures in her life.
The relationship between Bella and Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) initially promises a journey of liberation and self-discovery. However, this evolves into a nuanced portrayal of control and exploitation, symbolizing the film's critique of gender dynamics. Bella's navigation through this relationship, from naïveté to a growing awareness of her exploitation, is poignantly captured in scenes where she grapples with her own identity against the backdrop of societal expectations.
A key aspect of the film is its treatment of the theme of exploitation by male characters. Even those who appear well-intentioned, like Godwin Baxter, subtly perpetuate control over Bella, highlighting the insidious nature of exploitation. Her journey is marked by a series of realizations about the intentions of the men in her life, each contributing to her evolving sense of self.
Additionally the concept of a baby managing adult freedom and power, unfiltered by established norms, is a critical aspect that further complicates the film's narrative. The portrayal of Bella’s childlike mind in an adult body navigating a world without the usual societal constraints raises intriguing questions about innocence, corruption, and the natural development of moral and ethical understanding. This element adds a layer of complexity to the film, as it challenges the viewer to consider the impact of societal norms on personal growth and the often problematic nature of unbridled freedom.
The visual storytelling of "Poor Things" is another remarkable aspect. The transition from monochrome to vibrant colors is not just a visual treat but a metaphor for Bella's expanding consciousness. However, the film’s aesthetic brilliance occasionally overshadows its narrative, leading to moments where the story's depth seems secondary to its visual appeal.
Throughout the film, Bella's bold public appearances in attire that defies Victorian norms serve as a powerful symbol of her rebellion. These scenes, combined with her gradual empowerment in the face of male dominance, create a rich narrative tapestry. Yet, the film's portrayal of societal reaction, or the lack thereof, to Bella's defiance raises questions about the depth of its social commentary.
In conclusion, "Poor Things" stands as a visually stunning and thought-provoking film. Lanthimos masterfully illustrates Bella’s transformation amidst a complex web of gender dynamics and societal expectations. While the film excels in its visual storytelling and symbolic depth, it occasionally falls short in narrative coherence, leaving some thematic elements underexplored. Despite these shortcomings, "Poor Things" remains a captivating and intellectually stimulating cinematic experience.
Poor Things is very pretty, I’ll give it that much. Colors pop, and the watercolor, blurry sky and the scaling but condensed environments of Lisbon and Alexandria both convey the miasma of Bella’s mind quite well. How the background blurs in our young memories and how we remember all the buildings and places that looked large over us but so rarely the walks to them. Those work for me. So much of the rest of the film doesn’t.
I see what it’s going for- it’s hard not to. A journey of womanhood through the conceit of a child’s brain in a woman’s body, when women are treated as children and property to begin with. But it’s so fucking weird, with that conceit, to devote so much time to sex. Sex is an important part of being human for many people, I’m not denying that. But the attention it gets here throughout compared to brief, paltry scenes of Bella reading, seeking knowledge, having an interest in medical science and surgery is disproportional. Especially when the film wants to play her coming home and following in Godwin’s footstep as a culmination of her journey when it’s a facet of the film that barely gets any play in comparison. Angelica Jade Bastien, whose Variety review you should all read, brings up how in a film ostensibly about a cis woman and her relationship with her body menstruation does not come up once. It’s so telling where the film’s true focus lies.
And yes, sex can be beautiful, and conversely so can sex scenes. But the ones here are done dispassionately yet voyueristically. There’s no interiority, no sensuality, no sense of emotion and character felt through them. Compared to films like The Handmaiden they are sterile in heart if not content. It’s a big swing to go from black and white to color, and I can see sex being the impetus for it, sure, but when it’s done like this I don’t buy it. It’s interesting to me that her first time having sex is portrayed like this, with penetration until the man comes, thrice over, and yet her first time with cunnilingus is off screen. I feel like all the sex in this film is similarly narrow and lifeless.
None of what this film is trying to say is new, but much of it is muddled. It wants to rail against the entitlement of men, how they see women as property, how they want them to be exciting and adventurous but only in service of them. And yet it gives Max no grief at all for falling in love with. A child. Literal child, this is not a metaphor, it’s a child’s brain. And marrying her but refusing to have sex with her until marriage because that would be taking advantage, as if marriage would not be taking advantage and has not been used as the ultimate control. On some level the film condemns this, but only in the opposite direction, as part of Emily leaving Max is her frustration over not having sex. It’s baffling that the film seems to take the viewpoint that we ought to let children consent to sex with adults, that it is part of their development and journey to personhood. The film is similarly forgiving to Godwin, who used a woman’s body in a way she would very likely not have consented to all while the film extols a woman’s choice and ownership of her body.
Everything the film has to say about the nature of man and people, about women’s place in society, about sex work, etc, is rote. Nothing here is new, and nothing is heightened by the core conceit. It’s so surface level. And the cast is game enough. Dafoe is Dafoe and that’s always a good time, but I wouldn’t call this one of his greatest roles. Carmichael, much as I love his standup, just is not working here. Stone and Ruffalo are acting for the back seats, and while that has its moments of charm, it’s too much for most of the runtime. And Stone is just. She’s playing into ableist stereotypes for so much of this performance. The film drops the r slur and we’re just gonna pretend that Stone isn’t doing an insulting caricature at the same time? I don’t even want to delve into all the questions raised by the mental disability angle, others could do that better than me, but it’s another level of thoughtlessness and surface level depth.
The score is similarly cloying and overbearing. It insists on a scene rather than being a part of it. It doesn’t enhance it or complement it, it beats you over the head with how the scene is meant to make you feel. I could enjoy the sound of it in isolation, but as a score it’s distracting more than anything else. It’s a bit surprising to me how much this film has been praised as outside of the production design, I don’t see it. I just don’t. For me, this is as much a misfire as Barbie, if not more. Poor things.
This is your newspaper movie critic's favourite movie. It also is incredibly mediocre. Emma Stone plays well and Mark Ruffalo absolutely tries his best to save this weird piece of cinema. But ultimately it is probably the most blatantly Oscar grabbing, pretentious and in a very annoying way macabre movie I have ever seen. It tries desperately to be artsy and special when in reality there is absolutely nothing of substance behind the whole masquerade of b/w, crazy camera angles and overacting.
Go and watch it if you like fish eye effects and cool face prosthetics. If those two aren't the most important parts of your cinema experience, then it isn't worth to sit through what felt like four hours of repeating sex scenes starring a mentally five year old "woman" mixed with odd, mistimed tries to halfheartedly swoop in some moral messaging.
This exact same thing happened to my cousin
This film would be more aptly titled "Poor Ending." Essentially, it endeavors to present a modern, loosely interpreted version of Frankenstein, yet falls short in execution. The narrative seems directionless, lacking a coherent plot and overall story structure. It's surprising that this film has garnered ratings around 80%, as the storyline did not resonate with me. While I admire Mark Ruffalo's work, his role in this film seems ill-suited. Emma's performance, however, was a standout. Unfortunately, the remainder of the film is marred by an overemphasis on cringe-inducing elements, gratuitous sex scenes, and excessive nudity. It caters to an audience that appreciates abundant profanity and nudity. Departing the cinema, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration over the three hours spent watching this film.
A metaphysical universe, guided by cold rationality and maddening empathy, without the need for any morals whatsoever. Brilliant.
Love. The unconsciousness and innocence of every creature. Absolutely Formidable.
this was really incredible i am in awe, definitely a must watch
All the awards nominations are going to bring in the casuals and puritans but audiences familiar with the director's previous "weird" films know what they are in for. It's his most visually stunning film.
So proud of my boy Jerskin now being 'Oscar-nominated Jerskin Fendrix'. From playing at the Windmill in Brixton (my favourite music scene of all time) to half-empty rooms to now scoring Yorgos Lanthimos's best film, with a killer cameo too! And my God he does such a fantasic job - it won't win the Oscar because it's too weird for them suited squares (although I am pleasantly surprised at the noms this year) but this is perhaps one of the best front-to-back scores I've ever heard - because it truly stands on its own but also always takes you back to the world of 'Poor Things' each track at a time.
Everyone go listen to his one and only album 'Winterreise'. It's a masterpiece and has always been one of the most overlooked albums of the 2020's but Poor Things goes to show that you don't need millions of spotify streams to catch the ear of the right people. The music videos' imagery for that album feel right in the lane of Yorgos and shows the art world actually becomes small AFTER you finish projects.
And yeah, this is the best film of the year. Emma Stone might be my favourite actress at this point. I was stunned. It's cliché but genuinely true for me here: I am not the same person I was before the movie.
From the start, the crazy story begins and you feel entranced, wanting to understand where it will take you. Enjoyed this from beginning to end. Watching at the cinema was great with some truly laugh out load moments. Emma Stone is great but so ate many other actors throughout. I can only recommend it.
I vaguely knew what to expect from Yorgos Lanthimos, but nothing prepared me for such treat. This is absolute eye-and-mind feast with bizarre steampunk/art nouveau setting, which reminds me of the best creations of Peter Greenaway. Best movie in last few years, don’t miss it.
This fucking thing makes me wanna re- sign up to twitter to express my immense gratitude to the filmmakers.
oh it's beautiful, hilarious and constantly superb, but includes a child being abused weirdness
So Emma Stone is playing a grown woman with the mind of a little girl right, so it's fucked up to think that all those dudes who were sleeping with her, were simply fucking a little girl in a fully grown body, is that a 100% right or am I missing something?
I was going into this with low expectations simply because it looked stupid and weird. It was weird but with its aesthetic design, amazing performances by the cast and surprisingly hilarious, overall I found it quite good. Emma Stone is fantastic playing a pretty retard and watching a horny Mark Ruffalo call everyone a cunt was without a doubt the best part.
Knock off about 30mins and it's great for me. Despite enjoying it it's not a movie I wanna rewatch any time soon.
Also, as someone who's British, we tend to laugh at Americans attempting to do accents from Britain, especially from the Victorian era which is never great 90% of the time but they nailed it.
weird ass movie ... uppity and crass all at once
Where do I even begin? I've been a fan of Yorgos Lanthimos since first discovering 'Dogtooth', which quickly became one of my favourite films of all time. Going from there, I have loved everything he has put out, and it was not long before I started proclaiming him to be my favourite director currently working. I've also greatly admired Emma Stone and many of her performances for over a decade now. So, with all that said, my hopes for Poor Things were at an all-time high.
This was everything I had expected and hoped for. One of the rare times that a film I have exceedingly high hopes for actually manages to live up to what I had circling around in my head.
It's jaw-droppingly gorgeous. Without a doubt the best costume and set design I've seen in years (sorry Barbie). The camera work on display is creative, pretty, and inspiring. Everything about the way this film looks is a spectacle. Fortunately, that's not where my praises for this film end. The plot is captivating, the pacing is perfect, and the performances (especially from Emma Stone) are mesmerising. Lanthimos' direction is sublime, and this film is so full of life and wonderment. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious whilst dealing with some rather complex and disturbing subject matter.
I'd be truly shocked if this film does not sweep up awards this awards season. I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. My only complaint was that I couldn't see it last year.
Can't wait to see what Lanthimos puts out next.
Give Emma Stone the Oscar already! What an awesome performance. This movie is so weird but in all the right ways. I loved the cinematography, score, and the costumes were fantastic. It was also great to see Mark Ruffalo play a different character for once! The story is really interesting the only nitpick I have with the film is there’s little bit of a lull in the third act. The ending manages to pick it back up though! I still think The Favorite is the directors best work, but I think it’s safe to put this as 2nd! Will definitely be rewatching.
Mark Ruffalo is definitely the unexpected star of this movie.
First off, the technicals. I have no trepidation in saying this is the technically most impressive movie of 2023. The visuals are sumptuous, some stills are painting worthy. The fisheye lens, the discordant score, the absurdist and beautifully detailed environments...everything is operating at an extremely high level. Special shoutout to the title cards that split up each section of the movie. In particular, that last one will live rent free in my head. The settings are just perfection. From the very first shot of the movie, you know you are in for an audiovisual feast. Secondly, the performances. Really, this movie starts and ends with Emma Stone. In the most competitive year for Best Actress that I can remember, she is the winner. She puts everything into this character, not just from a physicality point of view but also the way that her facial expressions and speech patterns transform throughout Bella's journey. It's definitely centered around her, but the supporting cast does an admirable job (Mark Ruffalo specifically) in tandem with her. Third, the plot. I think, if I were to criticize the movie, this might be the one area. The movie is 2.5 hours long, and it does drag a bit in a few sections. I thought one or two of them could have been slightly tighter to keep the pacing brisk. I am doing this just to nitpick though because the other sections were brilliant, and I absolutely loved them. Finally, themes. This is a movie about liberation, and it tackles it across a variety of different avenues. Seeing Bella's journey of self-discovery was fascinating, and it was equally fascinating to see how often certain elements tried to contain it. Utilizing this madcap version of the world to really accentuate those competing forces worked. This is the best movie of 2023. Just FYI, this is not a movie you see with family. At all. It is explicit. Extremely explicit. And weird. And absurd. And so good.
The Island of Emma Ruffoe.
Like when your little sister is ten times smarter, cuter, and more grown up than you and it makes you love her all the more.
This feminist forward story of a beautiful creature struggling to remake dystopia in her own image is insightful and thoughtful in the sense it's both respectful of the audience and full of thought.
Visually bold, linguistically rich, and utterly infuriating. Falls on the wrong side of self indulgence. I hated it!
"We must experience everything, not just the good, but degradation. Horror. Sadness. Then we can know the world. And when we know the world, the world is ours. This makes us whole."
Equal parts unique and original, Yorgos Lanthimos brings us another one of his journey dramas set in a dystopian world. Poor Things bears a strong resemblance to Barbie in terms of feminism and character arcs. A strong character study into Emma Stone's Bella Baxter, a career high Oscar worthy performance from Stone and such an interesting character I couldn't get enough of.
Just like the usual Lanthimos movies, disecting the dystopian world mixed in with the dystopian characters is it's biggest appeal. I believe nobody is prepared for the amount of sex and nudity in this movie—it's a lot but it's necessary for the themes of the movie. Very dark, uncomfortable, disturbing. It's also a very funny movie with sharp dry comedy.
Such a gorgeous movie, easily Yorgos' most beautiful movie to date. Best costumes of the year, everything Emma Stone wears is worth starting a new trend. Favorite score of the year, it's freakin unhinged. The sets are every bit memorable. Clever dialogue. Mark Ruffalo also deserves a shout-out, a refreshing supporting role.
There's scenes that last too long for the sake of getting the viewer uncomfortable and that's great but there's also some scenes in the second half especially that last too long for no reason. The movie gets a little repetitive after a while and I felt the runtime. I question the inclusion of Margaret Qualley's character, she adds fun for sure and I love the actress but she doesn't really add anything to the story.
One of my favorites of the year. Not the best Yorgos movie overall but still great. Lanthimos is becoming one of my favorite directors, I just can't get enough.
This film is incredibly well made, with amazing performances and a fascinating story. Loved the humor. Poor Things definitely feels like the Picasso of film. I can't help but stare, but I don't want it hanging in my living room.
It's a Disney movie for adults.
"A woman plotting her own course to freedom. How delightful."
It's such a fantastical ride. Unhinged, explicit, mesmerizing and hilarious. Emma Stone has serious balls. Casting is perfect. I found myself snapping back into reality throughout the movie, completely immersed. Hugely relatable for women in ways some wont understand (men) :)
I for one am not watching anything with Emma Stone in it post-Aloha. It take my anger out on the director too for not caring who's in his film.
Stunning, grotesque, profane and hilarious. The performances are killer, especially Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Mark Ruffalo (but everyone is good). Bizarre, yet philosophically thought-provoking dialogue with a playfulness with words. Uncomfortable gender treatment yet that's the point. Sets that look designed by Gaudi. A career high for Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone.
Shout by Ariel RodriguezVIP BlockedParent2024-02-26T02:41:20Z
I think this is THE comedy of the year. And I also consider this is the best performance by Emma Stone. The script is inventive, interesting and entertaining. The story of Bella Baxter, of whom we don't know a lot at the beginning and we can't understand why she is like that, is attractive. As the film moves forward we get the story behind this strange girl and everything becomes more alluring. It is very sexual, but seen through her eyes I did not find it offensive or tacky. The cinematography is great, the production design is inspired and the costume design is ingenuous, very well suited for the characters. Makeup and hairstyling are remarkable as well. It might be a little too long, and that might be its disadvantage.