Review | Poor Things (2023)
Poor Things: An Odyssey of Deconstruction
Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, is one of the standout films of the season and arguably the most daring and ambitious project of 2023. Young Bella Baxter is brought back to life by scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Wanting to see more of the world, she escapes with a lawyer and travels across continents. Free from the prejudices of her time, Bella demands equality and liberation.
Emma Stone is stunning in her career-best role. Thanks to Tony McNamara’s wonderful script that brings all the weight to the main character, the actress achieves an incredible balance in a character that demands a lot physically and has multiple emotional layers in every scene and discovery. Emma, therefore, carries all this weight and embodies Bella Baxter with mastery, charisma, and originality.
It’s a journey to follow through the Victorian Era, mixing futuristic elements, bringing to the forefront the Steampunk theme. This beautiful and eccentric approach used by Lanthimos brings us closer to the story and enchants the viewer with its exquisite technical quality.
A feature film with so many positive aspects manages to be grand and intimate at the same time. The exploration of the protagonist’s intellectuality and maturity, all of this done through a deconstruction proposed by Yorgos Lanthimos. The initial black and white photography, precisely to highlight Bella Baxter’s first steps and words, confined in a house with her Creator. Godwin Baxter, affectionately called “God,” played by Willem Dafoe, an unconventional doctor, scientist, and surgeon, who carries significant dramatic and emotional weight for the entire progression and conclusion of the story. In my view, he is the standout supporting character of the year, an eccentric character who satirically and humorously addresses the abuses he has suffered throughout his life, thus justifying his actions and appearance.
From the moment Bella goes against the wishes of her Creator, colorful photography comes into play, with beautiful scenery and enchanting art direction. A quick and dissonant soundtrack takes over the scenes, initiating a journey of self-discovery. Sexuality is a fundamental theme in the film, proposing a discussion about freedom and the experimentation of desires, often questioned by supporting characters. Especially lawyer Duncan Wedderburn, played by Mark Ruffalo, thus representing a society that needs to impose, prohibit, judge, and control others.
In this way, I see that Poor Things proposes a deconstruction and, above all, a dialogue about various topics, which separately could lead to various discussions. However, together, they present an argument about the contradictions and paradigms of society. All of this, represented through the perspective of a character, exploring every last drop of her life and experience with the world.
This adventure of Emma Stone’s character, which can even be described as an odyssey, is a work that flirts with surrealism and demonstrates meticulousness in all technical aspects, conveying to the viewer a unique sensation when following the protagonist, her decisions, her process of “self-awareness,” and the formation of a “worldview.”
A sensational film by Yorgos Lanthimos featuring a brilliant performance by Emma Stone and a sensational adaptation by Tony McNamara. Poor Things is everything you expect from a great film.
