If not quite from the moment you see a woman, shot from behind while standing on a bridge at night and looking down, then soon after, director Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” grabs you.
And it refuses to let you go until its closing credits roll.
For this strange, wonderful and altogether captivating adaptation of the 1992 Alasdair Gray novel “ Poor Things: Episodes from the Early Life of Archibald McCandless M.D., Scottish Public Health Officer,” Lanthimos reteams with collaborators from his acclaimed 2018 film, “The Favourite,” who include screenwriter Tony McNamara and cinematographer Robbie Ryan.
Most crucially, however, he brought aboard Emma Stone — who earned an Academy Award nomination in the Best Supporting Actress category for “The Favourite” — to be a producer and star in “Poor Things.” The talented Stone gives what is certainly an award-worthy performance, an unflinching and courageous turn that is the backbone of this memorable, if bizarre, cinematic experience.
Already in select theaters, “Poor Things” goes wider this week.
Oh my, what to say — and what not to reveal — about Stone’s Bella Baxter? We can say she’s a Victorian woman but one existing in what aesthetically — at the hands of production designers James Price and Shona Heath, as well as other behind-the-scenes collaborators — would appear to be some alternate reality.
In the movie’s first phase, Bella lives under the care of Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe), a brilliant, unconventional and significantly disfigured man. (The cause of his scars, as well as the need for the device that helps him digest food, will be revealed in time and goes a long way to explain why he behaves as he does.) His estate is home to myriad unusual creatures, those that would seem to be amalgamations of naturally occurring animals.
Although Bella’s behavior sort of fits in this setting, to call it “odd” nonetheless would be an understatement. She speaks with short, strange phrases, drops food from her mouth and even urinates on a hardwood floor. (Yes, it’s that kind of movie, at least for a bit.) Upon being introduced to her, in fact, Max McCandless (Ramy Youssef of the Hulu series “Ramy”), a young man who comes to work for Godwin, remarks that she is “a very pretty retard.”
We, along with McCandless, will come to learn that not-so-kind term does not accurately describe her, as Bella is developing rapidly, as Godwin notes. Nonetheless, she throws a tantrum until she is taken outside and desights in playing in some leaves at a park.
Soon, she discovers her sexuality and knows not that there is a taboo element to it, declaring a certain action a “must-share” with a nearby person.
Sex is a key component to Bella’s journey through womanhood to come, a path that begins with a trip to Lisbon with Duncan Wedderburn (a wickedly fun Mark Ruffalo), a slick-and-scheming lawyer working for Godwin.
That experience will be significant to her growth, as will time spent on an ocean liner with Martha (Hanna Schygulla), an older woman, and Harry (Jerrod Carmichael), a young cynicism, and a stint working with Paris for a businesswoman, Swiney (Kathryn Hunter).
The villains of this story are, for the most part, men, most notably the manipulative (and often pathetic) Duncan and Alfred Blessington (Christopher Abbot), a man entering the tale later who seemingly knows Bella even as she doesn’t know him.
Emma Stone and Mark Ruffalo share a scene in “Poor Things.” (Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures)It’s a little more complicated when it comes to Godwin, whose first name is no random choice by Gray. Let’s just say the doctor is the Victor Frankenstein of this story — a story that also creatively plays with other narrative tropes.
Lanthimos is an extremely talented filmmaker, but he certainly isn’t to all tastes and sometimes makes films that, while bold and inventive, can feel a little too absurd for their own good, such as 2017’s “The Killing of the Sacred Deer.” “Poor Things: certainly has its absurd elements, some of them mentioned here already, but, at least when the film has concluded, all the choices feel purposeful.
This may not be as accessible a film as “The Favourite,” but it’s at least as strong a work.
It’s fiercely funny. It’s thought-provoking. It’s unsettling.
“Poor Things” has commentary to offer, such as how men too often see women as property. And we could be wrong, but we think there’s a pro-science and -experimentation message to be found, albeit one delivered in the most unusual of manners.
If nothing else, we are richer for “Poor Things” introducing us to Bella Baster, an unforgettable movie character, and we have Lanthimos and, especially, Stone to thank for that.
‘Poor Things’
Where: Theaters.
When: Dec. 22.
Rated: R for strong and pervasive sexual content, graphic nudity, disturbing material, gore, and language.
Runtime: 2 hours, 21 minutes.
Stars (of four): 3.5.
