Review: POOR THINGS (2023)
It’s always fascinating to see an artist go through various eras in their works. Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos’ DOGTOOTH, THE LOBSTER, and THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER were fantastical tales set in a world without guile, where people flatly delivered information (but not at the expense of experiencing emotions). THE FAVOURITE was a more (but not wholly) grounded story with characters submerged in subterfuge, where emotions and words were weaponized to manipulate a situation and hide the truth. It’s also worth noting that was the first time Lanthimos wasn’t involved in the writing. POOR THINGS is another departure from that early trilogy, but in a way that combines the two phases that Lanthimos has crafted so far. The protagonist navigates a world full of machinations, but faces it in a matter-of-fact manner as she speaks bluntly about the situations before her. This is easily Lanthimos’ best film to date, which is saying something, and is a wondrous slice of cinema that creates a fascinating world, populated by immensely intriguing characters, in a story that is constantly shifting but always engaging. Powered by amazing visual splendor and fantastic performances, POOR THINGS is one of the best movies of the year.
Set in the late 19th/early 20th century, and based on the novel by Alasdair Gray (adapted by THE FAVOURITE screenwriter Tony McNamara), POOR THINGS follows the rebirth of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) who is a creation of Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). The mad scientist has revived Bella’s body after transplanting the brain of her unborn baby into the mother’s skull. (It makes more sense in the movie.) The good doctor brings on one of his students (Ramy Youssef) to observe and record everything about Bella, who soon tires of her gilded cage as Dr. Baxter doesn’t want his experiment to be left alone or go out in the world. When a potential suitor (Mark Ruffalo) presents the opportunity for escape, Bella takes it and soon embarks on a grand adventure across the world; learning about humanity while seeking to define who she is (and who she wants to be).
POOR THINGS is hilarious, moving, and exceptionally inventive. There are so many bizarre touches to the character and the world at work, but it never feels eccentric just for the sake of being weird. Somehow all those odd bits—like the digestive disorder of Dr. Baxter, his mutant animal creations, or the fantastical world which Bella explores—feel of the same cloth, natural extensions of each other in this alternate universe. DP Robbie Ryan captures all of these different settings and perspectives in the story by shifting aspect ratios and the use of colorization. The sleek world of black & white in some moments, technicolor extravagance in others—again, this should feel like opposites awkwardly abutting against each other but instead furthers the storytelling in dynamic and natural ways.
At the heart of the movie is Stone, delivering an amazing performance as Bella. There are aspects of Peter Sellers’ comedic character in BEING THERE (and, if being honest, a bit of Forrest Gump’s naïveté too) matched with a melancholic awakening that is perfectly captured in both the physical performance as well as the general one. Her stilted walking, mirroring a baby’s first steps, eventually gives way to a more assured gait as she embraces her place in the universe—and, more importantly, the place she wishes to forge in this world. It’s hard not to fall in love with Bella, laughing at her rebuttal of societal norms, cheering for her self-discovery, sympathizing with the pain she inevitably encounters. It’s an amazing accomplishment by Stone that is the main engine for POOR THINGS.
Though the lead’s turn isn’t the only tremendous acting in POOR THINGS, as everyone else gets to shine. Ruffalo is absurdly hilarious in his increasing degradation, going from an overly urbane type to…well, no reason to give that away. But basically every minute he is on screen is a genuine delight. This goes for Dafoe as well, who plays a very particular type of mad scientist that was a bit of an experiment for his own father, but manages to make it equal parts funny and tragic. Jerrod Carmichael shows up as a curdled romantic turned cynic who proves pivotal in Bella’s education, as does Kathryn Hunter as a madam of a brothel that also instructs the young lady in ways of the world.
POOR THINGS kind of resembles a lot of works that came before it. There’s Mary Shelley, Wes Anderson, John Irving, Ernst Lubitsch, Charles Dickens, Sofia Coppola, Powell & Pressburger, and more all swirling about in this intricate and immensely satisfying stew. Yet, as much as it is like other works, it is a wholly unique film that is dazzling to behold. It is a powerful ode to humanity that shines thanks to writing, acting, design, cinematography, and direction all at the top of their games. It’s a fantastic journey and audiences will be all the better for going on it.
