Yorgos Lanthimos’ last creature is an imperfect and probably therefore overly charming Poor Thing(s). The mesmerizing Emma Stone plays Bella, a sort of female Frankenstein, whose seek for sex and lust has been regarded as a feminist manifesto. Very little matters that her naked body – the only boring constant in the movie – might suggest something different. Based on the homonymous novel by Scottish writer Alasdair Gray, this coming-of-age, sci-fi tale divided into chapters has conquered the lagoon after its world premiere at the 80th Venice Film Festival where it is competing for the Golden Lion. According to the public and press, there is no doubt they will take the roaring shining thing with them on their conquest of the world.
London, Victorian age. Dr. Godwin Baxter (William Defoe) is an eccentric man, closer to God, which by the way, is also his nickname, than a scientist. God created Bella. He took the body of woman who had just committed suicide by throwing herself into the Themes, and substituted her brain with that of the baby she was carrying. Obvious, no? God argues when explaining the complex procedure to Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef), the doctor he hires to monitor this experiment. Things seem to go well, but only very shortly. Soon it all gets out of hand. Bella starts developing her own opinions, desires, and needs, besides language and movement. The young woman soon discovers an uncontrollable desire for sex and freedom. Which – in a maybe too simplistic way – seem to coincide throughout the whole movie. As in each respectable fairy tale, very soon the antagonist enters the scene. Bella’s desires are indeed met by despicable Duncan Wedderburn – an irresistible yet winy Mark Ruffalo. With God’s blessing, the two take off together for the south. There, for a while they enjoy each other company by engaging in “furious jumps”, Bella’s metaphor for great sex. However, soon the romance ends due to Bella’s thirst for knowledge and experience. Or better, due to Duncans inability to deal with her freedom. Obsessed with her and the fear of losing her, Duncan kidnaps Bella and decides to take her on a luxurious confinement. What attends the heroin is an exciting as well as disturbing discovery of the world and herself.
What is Bella? Regarded as Lanthimos’ version of Pinocchio it also speaks to the current debates about artificial intelligence, and actually the two interpretations do not exclude each other. At first, Bella explores through her senses. She touches genitals, licks ears, smells the woods, and listens to birds. This way she deciphers and learns about the world. DOP Robby Ryan renders it through a black-and-white fish-eye distorted vision which will switch to colours only once Bella can leave God’s bubble. Then Bella reaches puberty, and discovers her sexuality, “a way to get happiness”. The joy on her lips and the ecstasy in her eyes while masturbating with a peach at breakfast are just memorable; maybe the only, among too many, sex scene that is actually necessary. Bella starts creating her world. She wants to emancipate herself, getting out there and risking it all. And free will, as God reminds Max, is what renders us humans: making mistakes for the sake of learning by doing. And there Bella goes: eating pasteis de nata and lobsters until she pukes, allowing a sailor to pinch her ties to understand which is the softest, giving away all her money to the poor, prostituting herself… Until Bella starts reading and wants to study to become a doctor and goes back to God. In a circular motion, Bella returns to where she comes from and stays true to herself: a wild mixture between a femme fatale and a child, a magnetic creature attracting everyone. She is alive!
Poor Things is not only a dreamy savage fairy tale, but also an irreverent hymn to life. Poor Things is most of all an incredible cinematic endeavour, marking the peak of many careers. Not only those of Stone and Lanthimos but also of all the craft women and men involved in the production: the costume designer, the DOP, the scenographers. Everything started a long time ago. Once upon a time in 2009, Lanthimos first met Gray to acquire the rights of his novel. Back then, however, the Greek director hadn’t yet “made it” and decided to put the project on standby for better days. After the climatic success of Dog Tooth and The Lobster, which culminated with the Academy Award for Best Director in 2018 for The Favourite, Lanthimos asked Emma Stone to get on board for Poor Things, not only as the leading actress but also as a producer. The two had gotten to know each other in The Favourite. And Stone? Well, at age thirty-four, she might also retire after an interpretation that will be hard to beat. Her performance is totalizing. The voice modulation in vocalizing the sarcastic flawless script by Tony McNamara, her facial mimic, and her body language are becoming a signature. Maybe comparable only to that short funny guy with a black bowler hat, moustaches, and a rotating stick. Fortunately, however, Bella’s outfits were curated by costume designer Holly Waddington. Her creations are colourful ephemeral origami, delicate structures that develop with Bella. Childish at first, romantic then, and martially structured at last, when she reaches maturity. Waddington’s costumes are the perfect shell for a creature exploring her dreamy habitat. Another astonishing proof of great craftsmanship is in fact the set design curated by James Price and Shona Heath, who transport the public in a world that resembles Dali’s paintings.
Poor Things is a rare shiny diamond tiara composed of beautiful gems: great acting, knowledgeable directing, astonishing costumes, neat photography, and flawless script. Yet there is one flaw in what has been regarded by the most as a hymn to female freedom. The main female character’s body and sexuality are exploited for the male’s gaze. This couldn’t be a surprise since the writer of the book and the script, the director, and the DOP are all men molding Bella. It would have been great to ask Emma Stone herself what she thinks about the matter. However, she didn’t attend the premiere because of the SAG-AFTRA strike. This crucial fight has caught the public attention of this year’s Venice Film Festival. Two things have been ignored due to it: only very few female directors have been invited to present their movies in the competition, and center stage has been given to allegedly sexual predators like Roman Polansky, Woody Allen, and Luc Besson. Based on these preconditions, Poor Things’ triumph at this year’s Venice Film Festival is maybe the most feminist thing we can count on.
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