Emma Stone is superb in the wonderfully funny comedy-drama Poor Things, seen at The Light Cinema, Wisbech
Film review: Poor Things (18) – seen at The Light Cinema, Wisbech
Starring: Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe and Ramy Youssef
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Run time: Two hours, 21 minutes
Emma Stone has already been honoured with a Golden Globe for her performance in this wonderful film, which was also given the Best Comedy Picture award at the same ceremony – expect more of the same when the Oscars come around in March.
Part comedy, part drama and with lots of sex and nudity, this movie is like nothing you’ve ever seen before. Fantastical enough for you to not take it too seriously, yet so close to reality at times that you have to, it is quite simply superb.
The plot is absurd. A heavily made-up Willem Defo plays Dr Godwin Baxter, a brilliant Victorian scientist who bears a resemblance to Dr Frankenstein’s famous creation.
The brilliant Godwin discovers a pregnant suicide victim not long after her death and manages to bring her back to life by transplanting the brain of her baby into the adult woman… and Bella Baxter is born.
Godwin calls upon medical student Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef) to aid in Bella’s development towards her brain matching her age and the two bond and are to be married before she is swept away on a European tour by the unscrupulous love rat Duncan Wedderburn, played superbly by Mark Ruffalo.
The film then switches from grainy black and white to the brightest colours as a hilarious, yet at times touching, adventure across Portugal, Egypt and France ensues. And, as Bella’s language and mechanical skills develop, so does her sexual awakening.
As previously mentioned, there’s lots of what Bella calls ‘furious jumping,’ but don’t let that cloud your judgement, this is a funny film and these scenes are among the most hilarious.
Stone is terrific as Bella, wonder, happiness, anger and yes, ecstasy, portrayed brilliantly in her facial expressions.
Sometimes films drag on, but I could have happily watched this for another couple of hours. It’s that good.
Rating: 9/10
