Poor Things (2023)
What a wonderfully brilliant film this is. I had no idea what i was letting myself in for as i got comfy on the sofa.
A bizarre multi pastel coloured steam punk Frankenstein tale of a young pregnant woman (Emma Stone) who throws herself off a bridge to her death only to be brought back to life by scientist Godwin (Willem Dafoe, in a direct reference to Frankenstein's author playing a character with Mary Shelley's maiden name). However rather than simply reanimate her he swaps her brain with that of the unborn child so Bella, as she is named, begins life as a young woman with a babies brain.
What comes next is a weird and absolutely f*cking wonderful adventure as Bella leaves London and goes off into the world along with partner lawyer Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) across Europe and North Africa (Lisbon, Paris, Alexandria) to learn about life.
The film plays out as the story of a reborn woman free from the pressures of society with the most liberated mindset imaginable. Emma Stone is absolutely superb as Bella in a role that asks her to bare both her naked body and soul in equal measure with some of the juiciest, wittiest dialogue i can remember from any film this century with a standout performance that is brilliantly bold and utterly fearless.
I laughed out loud several times at both the visual aspects but mainly Bella's forked tongue as her innocent naivety allowed her to say exactly what she wanted to whomever she wanted. And boy she doesn't hold back.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos, who made the almost as good Dogtooth back in 2009, brings to the screen a beautiful visual tour de force of a strange out of time 19th century that's almost impossible to avert the gaze from. Whether it's the pink and yellow streets of Lisbon or a dog with a chickens head (When it barked Milly was transfixed at the screen) Poor Things is a feast for the eyes. This might actually be a genuine case of style over substance, but what style it is!
Poor Things will definitely be worth my Blu-ray purchase price as there will be so much rewatch value... I can't wait. Meanwhile i might have watched the best new-to-me film i'll see all year and it's only the first of January.
This is highly recommended but perhaps not for those who are easily shocked or offended.
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