It took me a while to empathize with Emma Stone's Frankenstein-like woman-child character, but her fearlessness and commitment gradually won me over in Yorgos Lanthimos' 2023 fantastical black comedy and proto-feminist tract. There is a darkly extravagant "Alice in Wonderland" spirit about the journey of a woman named Bella, who dies and gets transplanted with the brain of her own child by the kindly, physically deformed Dr. Godwin Baxter. From there, she discovers sex (quite graphically), adventure, poverty, marginalization at the hands of men, and ultimately self-empowerment. The period-set steampunk-style designs and costumes are startling and memorable. Jerskin Fendrix's off-kilter score is bizarre but oddly enveloping. Aside from Stone's impressive work, Willem Dafoe brings much needed humanity to the proceedings as Godwin. Ramy Youssef also brings heart to the put-upon role of Max, a medical student who becomes smitten with Bella. Also smitten is Godwin's lawyer Duncan who takes her on a rendezvous to a glorious-looking Lisbon, and as played by Mark Ruffalo, he's a comically rakish figure. Despite the near-unanimous praise for the film, I find it hard to believe everyone will warm to it.
Review of Poor Things
