Poor Things – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Poor Things – Innocence of Obscurity: I am Bella Baxter

Through a rhetorical perspective, I ask you this … what makes film such an amazing medium for escape?  A question with an endless array of answers, it puts us into an instinctive touch of wonder.  No matter the genre, technical quips, and storytelling elements, the escape becomes a fulfilling touch of artistry.  When a vision is on display … a rhetorical moment becomes a definite touch in the escape.  In this review, I look at the latest from director Yorgos Lanthimos.  A visionary of the medium, he builds on this next entry with a pizzazz of creativity. With some standout performances, Poor Things is a darkly adventure that redefines the human experience.

This film is about the evolution of Bella Baxter (Emma Stone), a young woman who rediscovers what it means to live life again.  To begin this review, I start with the question from the introduction.  Through our own hearty subjective motives, the ideal falls upon the worthiness of the escape.  Through any personal lens, the guise of a rhetorical spin instills the ultimate touch of reflection.  With this latest film from director Yorgos Lanthimos, this question becomes the foundation for the journey of Bella Baxter.  In the beginning, we are introduced to her living situation, being raised under the care of her ‘father-like’ figure, Dr Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and assistant, Max McCandles (Ramy Youssef).  Through odd moments, quirky conversations and blunt humor, the evolution of Bella’s innocence is on display (for the audience).  These scenes build up a curiosity about the wider world, driving convenient moments to her meeting Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo).  As the two strike up an odd relationship, she decides to travel around Europe with him.  This becomes a pivotal moment (in the film), building a throughline for Bella’s maturation that parallels with a thematic perspective of the human condition.  As the journey moves through different locales, it layers characterization through satirical aspects of individualism, growth, and self-discovery.  The wider world weaves conflicts for Bella, creating a questioning attitude through obscure (and sexual) like situations.  The aspect of moments is driven through an acceptance of fragility, a highlight that builds through a genuine spin of the classic motifs of familial, romantic, and worldly relations.  The vision of breaking normalcy through creativity pushes the blunt-like situations to an ironic realism of what it means to be alive. 

As Bella continues through her maturation, the worldly escapes drive the creativity (of the film) to unknown heights.  Through each moment, the obscurity becomes an ironic twist of acceptance.  Each connection made becomes another layer that drives truth to the forefront.  With Bella’s existence becoming a cautionary tale, we head into a finale that becomes a whirlwind of convenience, characterization, and emotional reverie.  Poor Things is a quirky tale about the remarkable journey of Bella Baxter.  Through its creative (and obscure) moments, it redefines the meaning of personal worth.  If you are a fan of character driven narratives or dark satire, this is one for you.  Forewarn … there are a lot of sexual scenes (if you aren’t a fan of those).  Regardless, this film is truly … an award-winning experience.   

Full Score – 4.5 out of 5 (Award Worthy)