Poor Things
In cinemas now
Yorgos Lanthimos has been steadily cultivating a reputation as one of the most provocative filmmakers working in contemporary cinema and his latest, a surrealist adaptation of Alasdair Gray’s titular 1992 novel, does nothing to dispel that notion. Written by his The Favourite collaborator Tony McNamara, Lanthimos’ Poor Things is a daring exploration of sexual agency and patriarchy that is once again indebted to an outstanding lead performance from Emma Stone, who here plays Bella Baxter, a woman who commits suicide only to be resurrected by Willem Dafoe’s Frankenstein-esque scientist and implanted with the brain of her unborn baby.
As that premise would suggest, Poor Things is a most unusual film which uses Bella’s burgeoning understanding of the Victorian era world she inhabits to ridicule societal norms, in particular the innate desire for control that is displayed by the men in her life. The film’s ensemble cast does a stellar job of depicting the varying extents of that inclination, with Dafoe’s disfigured ‘man of science’ serving as a misguided father figure and his meek, but no less complicit, assistant (played by Ramy Youssef) a slave to romantic infatuation. Both are arguably outshone, however, by Mark Ruffalo’s riotously voracious lawyer, who mistakenly views Bella as little more than an object through which he can fulfil his most debauched desires.
In many ways, Poor Things acts as a subversion of the male gaze which has long dominated cinema; while Bella is undoubtedly objectified by the camera, this tale is very much her own and her would-be subjugators are never presented as anything other than ridiculous. Indeed, the repeated failed attempts of Ruffalo’s character to control Bella only succeed in driving him insane, much to audiences’ amusement. Other viewers will, of course, have an entirely different interpretation (the critical reception has not been without some criticism), but I think Lanthimos’ preoccupation with the aforementioned topic of agency is, for the most part, well-intentioned.
Thematics aside, this is a supremely acted affair which cements Stone as one of the most fearless leading ladies around, with this performance dovetailing effortlessly between comedic and dramatic impact. Long-time Lanthimos collaborator Robbie Ryan also contributes to the film’s engrossing aesthetic, which is characterised by a broad visual palette and an array of unusual camera angles. Costume designer Holly Waddington is also deserving of praise for her work, which coincides brilliantly with Bella’s own character development, as is Jerskin Fendrix’s curious score.
Not all viewers will be enthralled by Poor Things, but I found it to be a wild and thought-provoking ride.
