The incredible tale about the fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter; a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist, Dr. Godwin Baxter.
Chuck says:
“The Bride of Frankenstein” with a feminist agenda, Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” is a brilliantly unhinged, gloriously bizarre examination of one woman’s struggle towards independence. While this description may suggest a story that occurred during the suffrage era in the early 20th century or the Women’s Liberation Movement from the late 1960’s, the setting of this tale is a steampunk vision of turn-of-the-century Europe, a world filled with extraordinary sights and great technological advances, hobbled by antiquated notions.
Dr. Goodwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) is a physician with radical notions. Convinced that dead tissue can be rejuvenated, and that interspecies grafting holds untold possibilities, he’s seen as something of a quack at the university where he teaches. Unknown to the public, he has conducted a series of experiments that are medically groundbreaking but morally questionable. Among them is Bella (Emma Stone), a woman who met a tragic end but who the good doctor has brought back to life after giving her a brain that once belonged to an infant. And while she has the physical appearance of a mature 25-year-old, she acts like a toddler, walking about awkwardly in fits and starts, throwing tantrums as well as food, and acting on her every impulse. And while she is maturing rapidly, her behavior is problematic. Baxter is fully aware of this, restricting her to their home and occasional trips to a remote park.
As Bella’s behavior becomes more destructive, Baxter hires an intern, Max McCandless (Ramy Youssef), one of the few med students who is intrigued by his work. He’s to observe Bella and help teach her basic decorum but that soon goes out the window when she begins to have sexual desires. Intent on acting on them whenever and however she can, she has the misfortune of meeting one of Baxter’s few guests, Ducan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a roue who is immediately smitten with her forward nature. He soon whisks her away for a trip across Europe, intent on showing her off in high society. However, he soon finds out he’s bitten off far more than he can chew.
What ensues is a voyage of discovery as Bella finds the outside world is filled with nonsensical contradictions, inexplicable rules, and untrustworthy individuals. As she attempts to navigate high society, her naivete proves shocking to those in the upper crust, though few of the more open-minded ones find her bluntness refreshing.
None of this would work without Stone who takes on a role that most of her contemporaries would shy away from. Bella’s character arc requires the actor to display the traits of an impulsive infant, curious child, petulant teen, and well-rounded adult, not simply in her behavior but physically as well. She toddles about stiffly, runs around with abandon, trips over feet that are too big and then walks with confidence, her performance one of and for the ages. It is truly a remarkable turn, made special due to Stone’s ability to convey Bella’s feelings and desires in what could have been nothing more than a broad comic performance.
Yet what makes her sympathetic is the innate curiosity she has for the outside world. Bella craves knowledge and is eager to discover all the world holds for her. The curiosity stoked by the atlases in Baxter’s home when she’s confined gives way to real world experience, her travels giving her an education in human behavior and society that far outweighs anything she could learn in a book.
The performances, by and large, are good, Dafoe bringing a pathos to the mad doctor that proves touching, as Baxter throughout offhandedly speaks of the abuse, he suffered at the hands of his father. His sympathy for Bella is genuine, seeing her not simply as the child he never had but the child he should have been. Ruffalo takes an opposite approach, playing Wedderburn to the hilt, reveling in the character’s debauchery, arrogant to a fault, making his comedic reactions to Bella’s outlandish behavior, all the more effective.
Youssef is fine, though underused, as is Christopher Abbott who makes an appearance in the film’s truncated third act. His character, the abusive Alfie Blessington, lacks depth and requires more screen time. Meanwhile, Jerrod Carmichael ruins every scene he’s in as Bella’s confidant, Harry Astley. His monotone line delivery and contemporary attitude stand out and ruin the otherworldly effect the others convey with confidence.
To be sure, “Poor Things” is not for all tastes. Its extreme sex, explicit violence and outré sensibility will be off-putting to some but if you know Lanthimos’ work, this is in keeping with his off-kilter view of the world. Throughout his films, characters are in search of love and acceptance, longing to discover what makes others tick to achieve that goal. This is a mystery Bella undertakes and she comes to the conclusion so many of us reach after a series of failed relationships. Coming to know another intimately is impossible. It’s only through knowing yourself that happiness can be achieved.
3 1/2 Stars
