The film follows Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a woman who has died and been resurrected by Dr Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) - often affectionately and simply referred to as ‘God’ by our main protagonist. It is a visually absurd film, one which follows Bella leaving behind her sheltered environment to explore an expansive world in an attempt to seize her own autonomy. From the very beginning, Bella is surrounded by men who seek to control her, but as she embarks and progresses in her journey of the outside world she is shown to develop into her own person, with every new idea and person informing her self discovery.
The technical aspects of the film are something to be marvelled at. The use of colour in particular is brilliant, as we move from Bella’s chapter in Godwin’s home defined by its use of black and white into a shift of vibrant colour. There’s a hyperreal quality to Poor Things, with an uncanny colour palette reflecting Bella’s appetite for discovery. In addition to this, Jerskin Fendrix’s score adds to the film’s eccentricity, and its gradual sophistication mirrors the growth that Bella experiences as the narrative progresses. The combination of this and nuanced acting performances leaves a sense of wonder and appetite in the audience for discovery too.
As such, at times it feels like the male gaze is prioritised in Poor Things.
Poor Things is undoubtedly driven by the physical performance of Stone, who gives a career best as Bella. It is a masterclass in how physicality can be used to show the development of characters, from her mastery of gangly limbs to raw emotions on her face which provide unpredictable thrills for both the supporting characters and audience alike. Additionally Mark Ruffalo provides a hilarious performance as Duncan Webberburn whisking Bella away and, like other men in the film, attempts to shackle her down.
The narrative does not portray these men in a very sympathetic light, rather they are mocked and Bella is shown to grow more without their influence. It is of course worth taking into consideration how central Bella’s sexual experiences, or rather "furious jumping" as she naively puts it, with men is portrayed in her own self discovery. Indeed, the film somewhat places a disproportionate amount of time on said men and their bodies for this. Perhaps it would have been more interesting to see how Bella would respond to other aspects of womanhood, such as menstruation. The film does not address this and somewhat has superficial qualities because of it.
As such, at times it feels like the male gaze is prioritised in Poor Things. It does, therefore, feel a bit limited in its scope sometimes when taking all of these things into consideration. Yet, the film is still engaging and I can see why many women in the audience would either see a little or a lot of themselves in Bella Baxter, myself included.
A film that identifies the absurdity of social norms and customs, as well as the amount of importance that is placed on them, Poor Things will certainly leave you dizzy with excite.