2024   Searchlight Pictures

Rated:  R

Length:  2 hr  21min

Comedy ~ Drama ~ Romance ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by:  Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring:  Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, Ramy Youssef, Christopher Abbott, and Jerrod Carmichael.

“I am a changeable feast. As are all of we.”

THE BOOK:

 A 1992 Novel by Alasdair Gray originally titled  Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer.

In the 1880s in Glasgow, Scotland, medical student Archibald McCandless finds himself enchanted with the intriguing creature known as Bella Baxter. Supposedly the product of the fiendish scientist Godwin Baxter, Bella was resurrected for the sole purpose of fulfilling the whims of her benefactor. As his desire turns to obsession, Archibald’s motives to free Bella are revealed to be as selfish as Godwin’s, who claims her body and soul.

But Bella has her own passions to pursue. Passions that take her to aristocratic casinos, low-life Alexandria, and a Parisian bordello, reaching an interrupted climax in a Scottish church. Exploring her station as a woman in the shadow of the patriarchy, Bella knows it is up to her to free herself—and to decide what meaning, if any, true love has in her life.

THE MOVIE:

From filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos and producer Emma Stone comes the incredible tale and fantastical evolution of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe). Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo), a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

THE REVIEW:

WOW! How Bizarre! How Beautiful! Pure Ecstasy! Frankensteinian Erotica! It drew me in from the very beginning with wonder, amazement and revulsion all at the same time. Like a train wreck I could not look away, as the sights, the eerie sounds and the bizarre story and twists laid out before me. Each one more bizarre than the last, more incredible than the one before. Watching Emma Stone grow into Bella Baxter was a transfixing journey of wonderment and discovery. An Absolutely Stunning Performance!

The horror of Willem Dafoe’s face outmatched by the horror of the reason why. The man who should be a monster instead creates beautiful life. Mark Ruffalo comes off as a dastardly conniving lecherous swine but instead shows a heart and love towards Bella, until he feels betrayed and goes back to being the swine that he is. The Architecture, the ceilings of whimsy, the cityscapes, and the steam boat were magnificent! The scenery was beautifully whimsical and surreal! I don’t even consciously remember the movie going from black and white to the magnificent colors in the end. It was a seamless journey from black and white to color as Bella matured and grew.

Shades of Young Frankenstein and Frankenstein with a heavy dash of whimsical Victorian. It is not going to be for everyone. Know there are grotesques scenes of Frankensteinian animals and bodies, completely naked scenes of gratuitous sex and vulgarity. It can be vulgar and repulsive as well as whimsical and inviting. I absolutely loved this experience. I loved the movie and Mark Ruffalo, Ramy Youssef and Willem Dafoe’s performance. But Emma Stone outdid herself in this one. An absolutely wonderful and incredible performance as Bella. Well done!