Poor Things Film Review
For me, Poor Things counts as one of the best films produced this year. Yet, I cannot recommend it to everyone as the scenes tend to get weird, abstract, and sometimes disturbing.
The film has an age restriction, but from my own experience, I know that hardly anyone pays much attention to those warnings when watching something online. So, I'll try to give you a warning: if you are under sixteen, or if you do not enjoy watching scenes involving blood, graphic injuries, or sexual content, you probably should not watch this film. If my warnings have not discouraged you and you still have not seen the movie, I should also mention that this short essay contains spoilers. I would recommend saving and closing the page for now and coming back after you've watched the film so that you can reflect on and discuss it with me afterwards.
The film begins with a pregnant woman who has committed suicide (Emma Stone) and the insane doctor who discovers her (Dr. Godwin, played by Willem Dafoe). From beginning to end, it proudly lives up to the label critics have given it: a feminist Frankenstein story. The doctor saves the woman's life by replacing her brain with that of the baby she was carrying. The newly revived woman is then given the name Bella Baxter.
Throughout the film, we experience events from Bella's perspective. This is precisely why the opening scenes, in which Bella is only beginning to discover the world, are presented in black and white. It is also during these black-and-white sequences that her clothing appears at its most unconventional.
As the story progresses, Bella, driven by her love of freedom and her desire to learn new things, embarks on a long journey with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo). When I first saw the scenes set in Portugal, I made the mistake of questioning the film's time period. For a moment, I felt as though I had been transported from the seventeenth century to the twenty-fifth century, because what I was looking at seemed so remarkably utopian. Later, however, I realized that the vibrant colours, unusual geometric shapes, and breathtaking sunsets aboard the ship all reflect Bella's perspective as she gradually discovers more about life. The style of the costumes also continues to evolve alongside her character throughout the film. For instance, when she returns to England, her clothes become just as dull as the muted colour palette of the background.
The film's central theme, one that is repeated throughout the story, is Bella's devotion to her freedom and her determination to live life on her own terms. Her complete lack of understanding of society's expectations and its notions of "proper" behaviour ultimately becomes her greatest strength throughout her journey.
I also could not consider this article complete without praising Emma Stone's performance. Portraying a baby living in the body of an adult is not a role that every actor could convincingly pull off, in my opinion. Yet Emma Stone delivers such a remarkably natural performance that it feels as though she had been preparing for this role her entire life.
Lastly, the inspiration behind Doctor Godwin's house is John Soane's house in London, and for those who would like to visit, good news: the museum is completely free to enter!!