Emma Stone and Yorgos Lanthimos: creating unique perspective.
Emma Stone is somehow always exactly nailing what the character of Bella would be, in Yorgos Lanthimos‘ maybe-subversion (?) of the Born Sexy Yesterday trope. I’ve heard and understood the criticism that Bella’s overt sexuality is certainly a choice, and at the same time I can follow the (perhaps necessarily male) logic that, unburdened by social conditioning and helpfully oblivious to patriarchal efforts to confine and subjugate her, Bella might grow into such a woman in such a way on her own terms. It could also be argued that
Bella is heroic because she is unconditionally intellectually honest, and decides for herself to keep being so.
(Plus, Emma Stone is also a producer on this film, so whose agency is really being questioned here?)
With its astounding production design and costumes, sumptuously-realised fantasy landscapes, and bizarre, quirky characters, Poor Things also marks the continued trajectory of Lanthimos’ increasing use of absurdly wide-angle lenses; but where in his previous film, The Favourite (2018), they were used in specific and (I guess?) motivated moments, in Poor Things the wide angle shots are frequent and seemingly random, a tool in the kit that’s perhaps being overused to no immediately apparent purpose or intention.
And look: we love Mark Ruffalo. He’s always charismatic and never less than convincing as whatever character he’s playing. But in the loftily surreal world of Poor Things, he somehow feels like he’s struggling to find his place – and of all the wild, distracting, and farfetched elements in this universe, his performance of the cad Duncan Wedderburn continually takes me out of the world, and the film. But I mean really: he’s still charming, and Poor Things is absolutely a ride worth taking.
Further Viewing
Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo & Director Yorgos Lanthimos Break Down Poor Things Scenes (via Vanity Fair):
Cinematographer Robbie Ryan breaks Down the Ball Room Scene (via Variety):
What Editing An Oscar Winning Movie Looks Like (via The Editing Podcast):
StudioBinder looks at the film’s production process:
Poor Things Behind-The-Scenes featurette (via Greenlight Filmmaking):
A featurette on the film’s production design (via Searchlight Pictures):
If you haven’t already, or even if you have, treat yourself to Yorgos Lanthimos’ wonderful, and wonderfully twisted, The Lobster (2015):