DNA cinephile🏳️🌈’s review published on Letterboxd:
Poor Things. 2023. Yorgos Lanthimos.
There isn’t a dull moment in the monumentally surreal and beautiful sets and on location sites of Poor Things. This film hits the ground running and the laughs never stopped for us. However, the level of serious topics covered such as women’s rights and men’s liberties taken over the years is brilliantly written and well acted. The handmade sets, cast, score, and makeup is ostensibly perfect for the subject matter. Emma Stone takes her acting to a whole new level with Yorgos and gives the best sensual female role we have seen this year except for Florence Pugh in Oppenheimer (2023). Sorry, but we have a huge crush on Flo. From the information we gathered from YouTube videos, the cast had a great deal of time to do acting exercises before the film to become more comfortable and fluid with each other. This makes a great deal of sense due to the intimacy shown on screen. This is not a family movie and we were pleased it was not. Love scenes can move a story along, be artistic, and provide avenues for groundbreaking themes. This was definitely the case with Poor Things (2023).
The Cinematography should not be left out of this review because Robbie Ryan utilized fish eye techniques that were familiar due our love of The Favourite (2018) (Best Achievement in Cinematography Nominee: BAFTA, Academy Awards, etc). Nevertheless, the scenes were reminiscent of turn of the century (1900’s) films and served to make the Budapest and Scotland Sets seem less claustrophobic. Lanthimos’s post production work was perfect and much appreciated (very little CGI, and old school Visual Effects much appreciated).
Ruffalo and Stone had great screen chemistry in and out of bed. In addition the choreography is a blast. Willem Dafoe rocks. Genius. Ramy Youssef and Christopher Abbot had great lines and surprising roles. Moreover, the great Hannah Schgulla gave a phenomenal performance as a wealthy independent minded female. But, my only complaint is there could have been more lines for the multitalented Margaret Qualley.
Overall, this is among the best films of the year. Next in our lineup is The Maestro, Anatomy of a Fall, and Dream Scenario. I am doing the best I possibly can considering this painstaking year. I’m ready to say goodbye to the Year of the Rabbit and say hello to the Year of the Dragon as I am a Dragon. 🐉
🌛🌕🌜 Happy Winter Solstice. 🌞 Happy New Year. ☸️
Emma Stone’s most dazzling performance as Bella Baxter evolves in a perfectly written arch. 🔮 Many accolades await Stone as she ascends the acting ladder. 🤩
Cinematic Gems for Cinephiles
Yorgos Lanthimos's Films by DNA
Sensual & Erotique Films
