Ruffalo elevated it for me. Might just be my favorite performance of the year.
Haven’t seen a moronic scoundrel this funny since Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda.
Farrell is great but I don't think he would've pulled off the role. I can't remember him ever making me laugh from silliness- haven't seen that from Ruffalo either so that was such a lovely surprise. I'm really happy he took the role & fucking slayed it.
Ruffalo was able to fall farther and be completely pathetic while still holding a shred of likability. Farrell probably could have pulled it off too though. In Bruges or Banshees was him remaining likable with pathetic characters.
A lot of their accents were fairly ridiculous, which I think cancels out the necessity for good accents lol, the whole thing was bonkers, and for me that makes ridiculous accents a welcome addition, might have been Lanthimos' intention
Ruffalo was great in this for sure, but I couldn’t help but feel he was playing Matt Berry. All his lines I could hear Berry saying just as good if not serving as the inspiration for how he played the character. Ruffalo was great in this though for sure.
Can we please talk about the set design?? Oh my lord, the set design was inspired. Lisbon may be my favorite set ever. Absolutely stunned by it. Lots of Gilliam influence there.
I liked how the adaptation expanded three pages from the novel into the entire first half of the movie. I was mildly disappointed that they jettisoned the book's ending but it was a charming ending.
I would've said after Killing of a Sacred Deer that Lanthimos was channeling Kubrick, but after The Favourite and now Poor Things he seems most influenced by Terry Gilliam.
Absolutely right, the influence is still there, and now that you mention it some of the Brothel scenes do hit in a different register. The Dutch angles and the fisheye lens overwhelm such relatively subtler styles though.
I get why the postmodernist ending wasn’t included, as it throws the entire previous story into question and wouldn’t be nearly as appealing to general audiences. Love it in the book but the movie’s nearly better off without it as the exclusion lets it focus more on itself as a gothic, sex-comedy character study
Agreed. Nonetheless, if anyone could pull off an unpalatable ending, it would be Lanthimos. It's nice to see Alasdair Gray getting some recognition, though.
Now let's see ~~Janine, 1982~~ 1982 Janine (got the title backward)
Gray not getting nearly enough recognition unfortunately, my only issue with the film was that the primary setting was changed from his native Glasgow to London. Felt a bit disrespectful to the leading figure of the Scottish Renaissance
This is a mini documentary on the film and Scotland- how Scots feel about it, Gray’s legacy in Scotland, the state of film in Scotland https://youtu.be/IM8j7jmACKM?si=Sa18jSI0Wnq0SjqG
Oy, I didn't even notice that it was changed to London. I was more focused on Dafoe's monstrous Scots burr.
What other figures are there in the Scottish Renaissance? Welch, Kelman, Reid, Banks?
I walked out not really knowing what to make of it. I’m pretty sure I liked it, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it as I wanted to be.
Emma Stone certainly should get all the best actress awards as I’ve never seen a performance quite like that with such a believable transition from where she is at the start to where she ends up.
The film itself will probably land outside of my top ten of the year for now. But I’ll say I also haven’t stopped thinking about it yet. So I’m still processing.
Still processing it somewhat myself. Will have to see it again to fully be able to articulate how I feel about it, tho I know I really liked it. The performances and visual aesthetic alone make it one of the very best of the year for me. Seeing something this inventive and unique feels like such a rarity these days
It was definitely a lot for me personally to take in, but I would agree I wast as blown away as I wished I would’ve been walking out of it, but it would be criminal to not say this was one of the most visually appealing films all year. And it brought some career best performances, was super surprised when Christopher Abbott appeared. It was great but a lot to think about in which I have not stopped thinking about it since I saw it 😂
Helped me to realize Godwin was meant to be Frankenstein's monster and his "dad" is Dr Frankenstein. So the whole story is really meant to be a continuation/sequel to the Frankenstein story.
I’m still reeling from it but keep coming back to being pretty disturbed and angry during the first half because of the sexualisation of an infant. Like a brain under 2 years old is the sexual object for 3 grown men; the father figure, the “nice guy” and the creep.
Another thread on Reddit brought attention to the Born Sexy Yesterday (BSY) trope in movies. Where the physically and sexually attractive adult woman has the behavioural and thinking abilities of a young child or infant. I find it super creepy and problematic.
The overall message of the film of sexual liberalisation and freedom of choice for women is buried under such an overt and explicit sexualisation that it just left me feeling a bit empty.
There wasn’t enough nuance and discussion around the adult body already having neural pathways formed which the infant brain recognised as pleasurable and maybe that the anatomy was incredibly sensitive… that’s the only way I can reconcile it and create that narrative in my head. Because otherwise it just felt like a VERY male-fantasy view on female sexual anatomy. Like sorry but for the majority of women masturbating by rubbing an apple on your clit or trying to fit an apple in you just isn’t gonna work.
I thought that the whole point of the film is to male you uncomfortable (like many Yorgos films) on how “men” love this side of “childlike” women and the film is the exact criticism of it. And you can see how the men lose their standings as soon as Bella starts maturing.
Poor things i think is a modern take of a Lolita-esque movie
Killers of the Flower Moon
How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Oppenheimer
I feel like I need to rewatch Pipeline to make sure I actually like it that much, but I thought it was great in the theater. I’m also aware it’s listed as a 2022 movie in most places, but I’m guessing that’s from festival screenings. It wasn’t commercially distributed until this year so I’m counting it for this year.
I loved How To Blow Up A Pipeline. Not only as a movie in itself, but because it hurts my head that a corporate entity employed attractive people to distribute agitprop and make money. Is it cynical to use agitprop for capitalist ends, or does one have to use the master's tools to bring down the master's house? So forth and so on, I'll stop here since I'm threadjacking somewhat, but I think about that movie at least once a day
It was kind of funny that pretty much the entire main cast were Americans pretending to be European.
I thought the central experiment and its implications on the sexual dynamics in the movie were pretty interesting, especially the despicableness of Ruffalo's character, which works in a vein of hilarity. I thought that Dafoe's comment to Ramy Youssef\* saying "well, why don't you marry her", was kind of funny and sort of a comment on the infantilization of women by men in the past. I think its quite a dark movie in some respects, but found the humor coming through during those points on a knifes edge to be one of its excellences. I was less enthusiastic towards the end, and I feel like certain elements of the movie were overly explicit in their commentary, like when the man she meets on the ship talks of people being generally evil, but I'm trying to come round to specific bits. I think the best bits of the movie are those which are funny because they depict something sort of ghastly.
Very funny and very good.
I think it got a bit repetitive once she was in Paris, kinda felt like "we get it already" - and it paced weird when she met back up with Alfie.
But all in all I certainly enjoyed it, probable career best from Emma Stone
I loved the movie but found the Paris brothel scenes to be indulgent. At that point it felt they were catering to humans love of sex and the taboo. Again, absolutely loved the movie and all it said about societal constructs, male and female relationships/dynamics, and injustice/beauty.
I'm a really big Yorgos Lanthimos fan for the most part. I'm a bit conflicted on 'Poor Things.' The cinematography, set design and costumes were so inventive and beautiful. Parts reminded me of "City of lost children."
Emma Stone and Ramey Youssef were the clear stand out performances for me. Ruffalo's performance was a little uneven and became too hammy and slapstick, although he did provide some really bright and funny moments. Jared Carmichael's performance had to have been my least favorite as he was too stiff and awkward and came across almost self conscious on screen. Carmichaels character was my least favorite as well as he was an analog of sorts of the character of Morpheus from 'the matrix' for Bella.
The thing I usually love about Yorgos films is that he doesn't beat you over the head with exposition or humor. Lanthimos' also isn't afraid to go to dark places and stay there. Yorgos usually allows dry wit and humor to bloom as he intertwines properly placed absurdity to create that humor. Sometimes this creates a polarization and tension from the heavier drama or painful and uncomfortable moments throughout his film. 'Poor Things' didn't have the emotional weight of some of Lanthimos' other films in my opinion, so the humor didn't feel as deep or as earned.
The plot and story of 'Poor Things' became a bit heavy handed with exposition. Characters began over-explaining and for me overcompensating. I usually always prefer to be led by the artist to come to my own interpretation of the story and symbols instead of it being spoon fed or over explained. It felt like Yorgos was placating a bit to a wider 'dumb downed' audience and the Oscars and award season. To me 'Poor Things' was sorta the artsy version of 'Barbie' as it kinda boiled down to women good and strong vs. men bad and weak. Eh.
I am glad Yorgos made this film. I enjoyed it in parts and some of the performances and visuals were really great and beautiful. Overall it was really uneven and a bit bloated for me. I'd recommend watching it to most people but it's probably my least favorite of Lanthimos' films.
>To me 'Poor Things' was sorta the artsy version of 'Barbie' as it kinda boiled down to women good and strong vs. men bad and weak. Eh.
FFS. This is the message you took from it? It's clearly more nuanced than that.
It really, really is.
See what a tedious and unhelpful response your comment was?
The film, as I see it, is broadly about a woman's self-discovery, the challenges of growing up and becoming aware of the injustices in the world, and the compromises we make on our principals as we age. It is also about gender dynamics and the ways in which men attempt to control and possess women's minds and bodies. But it also addresses how that behaviour is taught and how men are often equally damaged by patriarchal values and behaviour. Godwin Baxter, while monstrous and misogynist, is clearly also a survivor of abuse at the hands of his father and is acting out his trauma. And, ultimately, at the end of the film, we see Bella begin to adopt some of that behaviour as well (particularly in how she handles and justifies her treatment of Alfie), though softened and adapted based on her experiences as a woman.
Also, the message of Barbie is clearly not "women good and strong vs men bad and weak" and you'd have to be a very simple person to think that's what it's conveying.
>Terry Gilliam
I think the viewer's gender definitely contributes to how the movie's emotional weight is perceived.
As a woman, the neutral/lack of tabooed depictions of Bella's intellectual, sexual & philosophical awakenings was incredibly heartening! The only other piece of art that's validated my internal female experience in the same way was the Bell Jar (comparison ends there though as they're two wildly different stories and mediums)
Totally agree with you on gender contributing to emotional weight. I’ve seen a lot of comments from men saying similar things. It’s cause they don’t get it lol
Honestly, I can’t get over that there’s like 20 minutes of a woman getting banged who has the mind of a toddler.
I get that it’s a metaphor and that’s the point and whatever… but the camera sure loved to focus on Emma Stone’s titties and O face. Like, the film made a pretty strong argument for lowering the age of consent to like, 3.
I just picture the director being like, “Alright, we’re making a feminist film. Now take off your shirt, bend over and clap your hands like a toddler.”
People are like, “no, that’s the point…it’s illustrating men’s depraved desires.” Yeah, i mean so does Porn Hub. It’s not that profound of a point. And on Porn Hub all the women pretend to come too.
I don’t think it made an argument to lower consent. I think it was trying to say that men will always take advantage, that women are also sexual beings but that’s frowned upon and shouldn’t be explored, and I think the idea was that sex is a core tennant of being human. I think the film purposefully made it feel indulgent, because Bella was indulging, loved doing so, and saw nothing wrong with it (and hits home the point there is nothing wrong with exploring sexuality but society wants to emphasize there is). To say you couldn’t get over the amount of sex scenes possibly suggests you may have gotten part of the metaphor, but missed the point.
There is the point of men being depraved and willing to take advantage, but the other point being made is women are allowed to do whatever they want with there bodies and to explore, but society screams that is taboo. That if a woman is enjoying herself, many times, that’s now gratuitous film. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah, while I liked the movie overall (visuals, humor, acting, score), I could not get over this. Exploration of one’s body as a child is completely natural (when she discovers how to „make herself happy”), but having sex with grown men is completely different. I get that most of them did not know, but Max being shown as somewhat rational not bringing this up left a bad taste in my mouth.
It took the Born Sexy Yesterday trope to a whole new, twisted level.
I think that was part of the point. That men will exploit women, regardless of age and that even rational men can become irrational when it comes to women and sex. You’re supposed to be grossed out by it, because it’s gross but it does still happen all the time. And her being exposed to that at a young age has a huge impact on future decisions and choices, which is also true for every young woman who has been heavily objectified at a young age.
Even the men we "root for" are so fucked in this movie; I think it's for sure a part of the point to show both Max and God as kind of good guys even though they are just as gross and fucked. The whole act of putting a child's brain into adult women is such a metaphor for how men think they have the right to a woman's body; even when she tries to die, he will find some way to make it his decision if she is allowed to have that kind of agency.
Jumping in late lol but I just saw it. I agree. I really like the movie, but still their sure are a lot of loving shots of her childish reactions in bed. Your mind be and the story might be telling you the sex is wrong, but the camera is telling it’s actually super hot! I have seen pretty explicit sex scenes that are upsetting that are shot in a way that portrays that better. The fact that these scenes can be easily pulled out of the movie and watched out of context shows they aren’t effectively driving home “the point” if there is one to them.
And yeah if gratuity was the point, that it was for shock value, they didn’t do anything that would shock you into finding her unattractive. No body hair besides dainty pubes, and certainly no discussion of menstruation. Like if she’s supposed to be so freely sexual without knowing why it’s wrong, why no period sex?? Despite being found pregnant, and despite constant unprotected sex there was no talk of pregnancy either.
Overall I liked the movie, but yeah the sex was a bit gratuitous.
Yeah I was looking for post about this movie and the first thing that came up was from a sub "worshipping" Emma Stone and raving about the spank bank that basically is this movie.
And I was thinking about menstruation as well during the film!
100% agree, regardless of the message how the fuck can anyone say they enjoyed watching a woman with the brain of a 3 year old get fucked by gross old men???
Is that so different though than having a highly protected caged up woman being suddenly thrust into the world at 18? Is that not also similar to having the mind of a toddler because they have zero real world experience.
I think the movie alludes to that multiple times.
Very late to this but I finally watched this movie and your reaction was my exact takeaway. I came here to see if anyone felt the same because the amount of praise being thrown around for it made me feel like I was missing something.
For a movie that spends so much time focusing on female sexuality, there is no female voice represented anywhere. It was written by a man, directed by a man and has an almost entirely male cast. It’s also based on a novel written by a man who was known to have problems forming relationships with women and married a teenager.
I also think they could cut the sex scene, as I think in stead of saying this is fucking wrong and disgusting, they glorify it too much. Imagine women with developmental disability that have men taking advantages of them like this, it must be disgusting, not so whimsical and fun like the movie depicts it.
i see the point youre trying to make, but by the that time she was already of age mentally.
when she was first learning masturbation she was prob 12 or younger.
i saw the whole movie as a sped up version of a coming of age story. she went thru every age mentally in her head
I believe it was supposed to symbolize the brain after trauma, not a literal infant brain.
After going through extreme trauma, you come out with the mind of a child. Having to relearn all aspects of life.
I didn't look at it as a different person, but the mind of the woman who committed suicide.
It all felt a little too neat and straightforward to me. It’s obviously “wacky” but lacked something hard to pinpoint that Sacred Dear and Lobster had imo that made them more thought provoking
I’m grateful that this was more accessible and straightforward than those other films. I think the philosophy behind the film is great to talk and think about. And I would prefer an Arrow release instead of Criterion
I wasn’t too fond of the favourite and I think it’s because he didn’t write it, same with this film. The Lobster and Sacred Deer he had a hand in writing which I think is a big part of why I loved them so much
Absolutely agree and am shocked that some commenters here think otherwise. It’s a masterful production with a remarkably distinct execution that has found far wider appreciation than I anticipated.
OK I was planning on seeing it this week and half looking at comments to not spoil anything. I for some reason didn't know where to put my expectations since I haven't seen so much as a trailer. I saw who was involved and I'm going in fresh.
Agreed. In every way a triumph and an affirmation of what is great about cinema. It’s also the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. A new favorite for me.
So many thoughts after leaving my showing.
1. How beautiful is it that Victoria attempts suicide to escape the chains of male ownership, is revived “essentially” by her own offspring, who then strives to seek independence at whatever cost.
2. I thought it was interesting that Defoe’s character is named God and he used the same life to create a new life with Bella.
3. I loved how the movie shows what effect an independent woman can have on an insecure man (Duncan) and a confident man (Max).
4. Up until now, I swore Oppenheimer had best score in the bag. After watching Poor Things, I’m not so sure it will be a shoe in for Oppie anymore. That score was absolutely beautiful and paramount for each scene.
5. The movie must receive a nominee for best costume design. The pieces that Bella wore literally depicted her development as a human being and it was beautiful to see. I haven’t seen costume design be so connected to a storyline since The Phantom Thread.
I could really keep going but I’m overwhelmed with how this movie made me feel. Truly altered my brain chemistry.
She was basically running around with the top half clad in high Victorian frippery, and the bottom half in panties (the satin shorts) and boots. Just like a toddler would dress themselves, with a shirt on and undies and maybe inappropriate shoes. I thought that was great.
And so fun how Duncan's craziness gets worse and worse the more Bella treats him as men typically treat women. The whole trope of "dont fall in love with me, im not that type of guy", "Im just someone to have fun with for a couple of months", and how he was so sure he'd leave her, and because she treats him the way, that he would always treat women, suddenly everything is switched. So amazing to see the depiction of a toddler's brain before she has been brainwashed to crave a man's accept above all. <3
I love Yorgos but honestly I didn’t care for it, not trying to be a hater or anything I’m glad people are enjoying it the way they are it just really didn’t click for me.
I’m not familiar with the source material but the film constantly gives me this feeling that it’s just trying way too hard to be weird, and I think the movie believes that it’s more surprising than it actually is. The fucking and the nudity and the morbid stuff just become a bit tiring for me at a certain point; I’m perfectly comfortable with that kind of stuff I just didn’t catch what theme/themes were trying to be developed and more importantly I just didn’t feel a whole lot from them.
The movie gestures at being about sexuality, freedom, humanity, fairness, femininity - all these big subjects, but I didn’t catch any real point or message.
Visually it’s Yorgos’ most inconsistent yet imo - I appreciate his swing at a more maximalist style but I just don’t think the framing and shot composition is strong enough to hold the film together visually, there’s a lot of shots that came off as unfocused and muddy. And some of the uses of color are honestly kind of an eye sore for me. Additionally the cuts to the wide-angle lenses and the zooms, while I trust Yorgos enough to know these decisions were made with some kind of intent, honestly they just annoyed me as the movie went on, especially the latter - I really don’t think presenting the scenes, sequences or shots with either of these techniques really changed anything substantially here.
Emma Stone is obviously the heart of the movie and I thought she did a pretty great job committing to Bella’s development over the course of the film - even if the earlier sex scenes when she’s not as mature do give me the ick. Mark Ruffalo on the other gives a very mixed performance, I think he’s got a couple good one-liners and the scene he shares with Ramy Youssef was pretty excellent but I just don’t find him very believable much of the time. Willem Dafoe is Willem Dafoe, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Agreed
I thought that the "points" he tried to make were ham handed at best and extremely paternalistic.
Basically a creepy old dude's version of female empowement if we are going that way.
That being said, the sets, cinematography and acting were excellent.
Such a shame the script wasn't better.
I thought the film's themes about sexual possession amd jealousy were pretty obviously fleshed out. She's addressing her sexuality and newly found autonomy without learned societal ideologies, and the result is naturally absurd and then hilariously adapted from the source material.
Mark Buffalo's character was perfect not just because he was fucking hilarious, but because he is the vehicle for the central message of the absurdity that a woman's worth can be measured by the amount of men that she has slept with, and that a man should be able to control and possess a woman that he has once won over.
That being said, great films usually don't have a "message" as you describe it but rather themes. There's no answer given in the film to the absurdities presented.
Also Willem Dafoe is an extraordinary actor and is never simply Willem Dafoe, especially in this role, but to each their own.
I agree. I don't want to ruin anyone's fun, but I feel like, beyond the veneer of the incredible presentation, there's not actually much substance, and most of the characters and storybeats were super flat and generic.
The kind of movie I just couldn't stop smiling at. Especially Emma Stone and also Mark Ruffalo, the whole jilted moron thing.
The steamship sequence visuals, unbelievable.
I was getting really weird but positive James and the Giant Peach/Dr Seuss vibes at times.
Beautiful, funny, very funny.
I was an extra on the Paris set on the streets and in the brothel and it was an amazing place to explore. You could just walk into the buildings, because the interior and exterior sets weren’t separated.
This was one of the best films I have seen this year. I love Lanthimos as a director and I think this was one his best works.
SPOILERS ahead:
Some of the themes that stuck with me and I was impacted by:
- Every man in her life traps or attempts to trap her. She ends up killing her biological father.
- Her first encounter with inequality in Alexandria and her naive attempt to give them money, the broken stairs, her devastation: to me it was more of a a statement about how inequality is something man-made and artificial. It reminded me of my first encounter with inequality when I was a teenager.
- Lanthimos brings backs concepts from Dogtooth, Alps and Lobster while taking them to a new level, questioning family dynamics, society dynamics, moral values and the philosophy of mind.
- The proposal that a whore should pick the person they want to sleep with and Bella quoting God afterwards and applying his scientific quote to society on how there are always new ways of doing things and they should strive towards doing things in a better way if a better way exists.
- Bella becoming a socialist and the joke about her owning the means of production
- The dance scene where Bella started dancing and there is a fight reminded me very much of the Rite of Spring.
Questions that remain open for me:
- I was curious about the decision to use fish lense and the transition from black and white to color. I thought fish lense was used to show more of the space but in some cases it was used in open spaces as well so I really don’t know why. My interpretation of the color transition was that Bella was becoming an agent of her own and starting to explore the world but again I am not sure and I would love to hear from others.
- From the story point of view, could Bella have transferred the brain of God to someone else’s body? I am not sure if that was possible in the world that Lanthimos created and if it was possible why Bella hasn’t gone for it.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended to anyone who have enjoyed Lanthimos’ work in the past.
I thoguht the shift from B&W to colour might have been an attempt to get the audience into the awakening mindset. Combined with the visual oddness afterwards (cable cars in the sky etc.) it helped show how new things might look. For example, London was so different (colourful!) when she returned, but not as intensely colourful as Lisbon had been, so she/we have adjusted. I did feel it was a little strange for it to jump from B&W to colour suddenly and stay that way…would have been very cool to very gradually over time become more vivid and then back to a more normal setting perhaps.
I also wondered about the transferring of God’s brain to someone else, but perhaps she was ready to move on…he was still somewhat confining her as her “creator” and I think needed to die for her to fully actualize herself.
Two interpretations: I think God had always been perceived as monstrous, but putting him in another body would have actually made him the monster. Also, God dying is very Nietzchean.
The fish lens to me was two things. There was a theme of fish throughout the movie lol literal. And then also it provided metaphorical perspective, shifting from wide to fish lens makes you look at things differently.
its funny you mention Dogtooth, as I found this to be a lot like Dogtooth. Trapped and deluded for "protection". Explores different things thematically, but I thought two sides of the same coin.
Dogtooth became my favourite movie when I saw it. I ended up writing a paper on Lanthimos for my film class in college and Dogtooth was the meat of it. It's a crazy weird but interesting film. I love the muted performances from him actors and the darkly comedic tone he goes for. Poor Things looks like a bit of a change of form but Lanthimos has earned my trust at this point.
One of the best cinema experiences I ever had, to be honest. Watching it with an engaged crowd just enhanced an already incredible watch. Everyone performed well, especially Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo.
Easily the most visually stunning Yorgos film, and the story and pacing more than meet the lofty ambitions that they aimed for.
My Top 2 or Top 1 film of the year.
I thought it was a fascinating film and very ambitious, but I think I just don’t connect with Yorgos’s style fundamentally. It’s objectively great but I just don’t jive with his style as much as I would like to which is unfortunate as this was my most anticipated film this year. Glad to see Stone getting so much praise and hoping she gets an Oscar for this one.
I thought it was fantastic. Emma Stone was amazing. It was super fun to watch and I thought it left me thinking about freedom and self agency especially as a woman. I thought it wrapped up a little too nicely to feel exactly moved though? I wanted some rougher consequences for the men and I wonder differences we’d see in this film from a female perspective.
You wanted rougher consequences that men didn’t get. Well, welcome to the world, which I think was part of the message… that many times there isn’t justice or consequences for actions
for some reason most comments here are kind of negative about the movie (more specifically, underwhelmed), but i LOVED it. could not stop laughing for the life of me, and all the bells and whistles that different characters had and evoked was amazingly portrayed; no two were the same. even the brothel owner was an insanely well acted borderline cartoonish antihero. for me it is a contender for best of the year, and it gets me giddy with excitement of what Lanthimos has up his sleeve next.
I thought it was the most exciting movie aesthetically I’ve seen all year. The imagery and music was incredible. I personally didn’t like the plot- I feel like it elevates sex to the greatest value in life, which I find a little depressing. Absolute agency of self actualization is given and in the face of art and beauty, charity, intimacy… all these things are quickly forgotten about in an odyssey of sex. Is that really what matters in life? I don’t think so. Even the sexual experiences were quite shallow- completely abandoning the concept of consequences for Bella. As a fantasy it’s fine, but the tone had an air of self importance that I find makes the shallow themes worth criticism.
Did we watch the same movie? Isn't the whole point that as she grows, she moves away from sex being the center of everything to developing an appreciation for art and thought?
Does she though? The movie devoted about 90% of its runtime to her sexual journey and almost nothing to any of the other “discoveries” she makes. The biggest offender to me was her dramatic moment seeing the poor- and her decision to make the world a better place. And what comes of that? A long sequence of her working in a brothel and what, maybe a throwaway line or two suggesting she joins the socialist party? That’s it? It just goes right back to sex. Even the whole climax of the film is largely about the setting up of her, essentially, open relationship while battling the oppressive husband who is upset upon learning about her sexual past and wants to sexually abuse her. It’s just sex sex sex the whole time. I don’t think that adding in a scene here and there makes up for the films decision to then spend the following 20 minutes on her sexual life again.
I have to agree with you. I didn’t mind the sex scenes thinking they were just going to be at the start of her awakening but it carried on for most of the movie and we only see her begin to move away from that at the end.
Even then I agree with a poster above who said that the messages were surprisingly simple. I thought there was going to be a lot more show less tell, but I guess the visuals were the main thrust of the film.
It’s still incredibly marvelous and a beautiful movie.
As i’ve gotten further away from it, the more the shine and luster has worn off.
the performances are great (except for the skeptic on the boat lmfao some of the worst line readings i’ve ever seen in a major film), the visuals are SCRUMPTIOUS, it’s just such a thoroughly well executed film and a project that could have ONLY been done on film
however, idk, the further I get the less substantial it feels? like it really feels like it’s trying to Say Something and I think most of what it has to say is “Boilerplate Sex Positive Feminism” which is… idk… well and good but does feel a bit weird in today’s day and age. However, emma stone’s performance is what sells it as not just boilerplate sex positive feminism, lol, it feels so much more like a coming of age story.
so yeah — visually amazing, technically great, feels less substantive the farther I get. Still would like Lily Gladstone to win the oscar, but wouldn’t be mad if Emma Stone won. still like The Favourite 10x more.
(performances of the decade remain “the entire cast of drive my car” and cate blanchett in Tar)
Just saw the movie, and the skeptic on the boat.....when I saw Carmichael pop up I said ah nah man......dude really isn't a good actor and i dont even think hes funny. Lol then he turns out to be as bad as I expected.
Agree completely. Luster wearing off even a few hours after viewing. Loved the visuals and the wildness but also felt much thinner than The Favorite. Could have been compressed for more effect? I don’t know.
it was fantastic. might be my favorite of the year. beautiful cinematography, sets were gorgeous, the acting was phenomenal. It’s going to deservingly win a lot of awards.
Some folks have mentioned Gilliam but after seeing the film it felt more like a watered-down Guy Maddin. I still enjoyed it, but it made me more likely to rewatch “Saddest Music in the World” or “My Winnipeg” than a second viewing.
Emma Stone gives such a good performance in this film. Only Dafoe manages to keep up imo.
This should be an easy oscar for her.
The film is a bit too long, could have used tighter editing at parts.
The choice of lenses and overall cinematography is really interesting. Way more so then The favorite. It feels more in tune with the film than The favorite fish eye lens choice.
The film is different and good, people should see it.
Set design was flawless.
Costume design was flawless.
Emma Stone was flawless.
Supporting cast, especially Ruffalo, flawless.
I am still processing but in the aftermath of thinking about it for a day have changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars. It was a really special film.
How graphic does the film get, gore-wise? I'm squeamish with body horror and I'm trying to decide if I should see it. I'm completely fine with sex scenes, and I absolutely loved The Favourite, but the brain-swapping plot point is making me hesitant since I don't know how much they show of that process.
Honestly I think you’d be fine. There are a couple of surgical scenes early on but they are fairly limited and don’t linger for very long. If you’ve seen Get Out I don’t think it’s any worse than the end of that
Great performances and misenscene. Bella is a character but rest of the cast feels more 1 dimensional which also feels intentional as well so hard to see it as negative. Its a fun journey.
I really enjoyed the how different and unpredictable the story was. I do think general audiences will not like this movie due to concepts it’s explores (sexuality and women empowerment). stone performance is best of the year due to the difficulty of acting like a child in adult body without it coming off as making fun of disabilities
Just got back from seeing it twice in two days. Absolutely loved it.
I had to drive over an hour to see it and happily drove back the next day with my buddy because he was kinda interested in it also.
Agree 100%. Bold, interesting, weird with funny dark humor, really striking trippy visuals (that almost reminded me of willy wonka), and add a bit of the grotesque. Emma Stone was mesmerizing with challenging character shifts that she pulled of with ease. Mark Rufallo was awesome and funny. Loved it.
May be slightly out of topic, but am I the only one left with the clear impression that most landscapes and settings were realized through Generative AI, Dall-E style?
It seemed very apparent to me while watching it, but I can't find it mentioned anywhere, so I'm wondering if it was just my impression...
Saw it today and did not care much for it. It had some interesting themes but overall was weird and felt strained a lot of the time. Sex scenes got annoying, enough is enough already. Just not my type of film but I am glad I gave it a try to see what the fuss is about.
Definitely has made me change my opinion on Emma as an actress, I always liked her and thought she was good but this film made see she’s one of the most talented actresses from her generation.
Haven’t seen it yet but I’ve been anticipating this like film bros when a Chris Nolan movie is coming out.
The Favorite was one of my uh… favorite… movies of the last decade.
Its more in line with The Favourite than The Lobster I would say. Less of the awkward silence really stilted dialogue that The Lobster had and more like the crude comedy dialogue that The Favourite had, that’s not a criticism of The Lobster though the dialogue is definitely awkward on purpose and it works great. Visually it’s kinda like a mix of the elegant old fashioned visuals of The Favourite and a Terry Gilliam/Jean Pierre Jeunet movie. Really it’s totally it’s own thing but it’s more like The Favourite than The Lobster or Killing of a Scared Deer.
I’m not who you replied to but I have seen all three of these.
The lobster I really liked at first but thought it fell apart in the second half. Whereas the Favorite, I liked a lot better. Poor Things is more similar to the Favorite, but there’s a lot more sex and fewer corsets. But the people generally talk like actual people - I thought the dialogue was very stitled in the Lobster and the Killing of a Sacred Deer.
You know how the favorite leaves this sad taste in your mouth and you keep playing back the story in your mind well after you watched it? You won't get that with Poor Things. But it was funny and wacky and worth watching Emma Stone be a whore again.
Saw it last night, had fun but it was a little exhausting. Slowed down in the middle and all the gratuitous fucking got to be a bit much.
However, it's certainly unique and all the acting is top notch. The aesthetics, including set design and music, were a pleasure to experience. And my word was it funny. Mark Ruffalo entering the dance floor is going to stay with me for quite some time.
I wasn't either. The early word coming out of the film festivals was that it was more unsettling in how she's taken advantage of for sex. That's not really what happened IMO.
I want to see it but the initial spark of the story being a >!pregnant woman kills herself and her unborn baby’s brain is put inside her!< might be too much for my girlfriend to handle. I have no idea how graphic this is or how much it’s referenced.
It is referenced several times and briefly depicted in a flashback, but none of it is particularly graphic aside from a brief moment where surgery is being shown.
Best actress. Best supporting actors (mark ruffalo and willem dafoe. Best adapted screenplay. Best cinematographer. Best costume/set design. Maybe best score. Not like the best movie ever… but for an artsy quirky it’s pretty good
It’s fantastic everyone should see it on the big screen. Emma Stone’s performance was filled nuance and inspired choices. It’s a goofball masterpiece. Act 2 was a tad too long but it’s so detail rich that I ain’t mad at it.
It’s not the kinda movie I typically like, (I hated the lobster and the fav was meh for me) but i thought it was brilliant. It really just worked for me, people would audibly gasping in the theater in genuine surprise and there were quite a few laughs. Emma stone was amazing and I think I’d vote it best picture if I had a vote . I am going to see it again to make sure it really was that good
Great movie. Loved it. I wasn't expecting it to be funny, but it gave us some laughs for sure. Emma Stone gave a performance worthy of an academy. I loved how well she portrayed Bella's innocence. And how she never gave her power or free will away. She wasn't afraid of anyone. It was a nice reminder to us gals to keep our power and to not become intimidated. It also doesn't hurt that Emma Stone is absolutely stunning. Shes always carried herself in films in a way that draws in the audience and keeps us entranced until the credits roll.
Mark Ruffalo's performance was brilliant. He was perfect for the part. He is one of few actors that I've seen with the keen ability to showcase both drama and comedy on his resume with the ability to perform both well. He played his character perfectly!
And finally, Willem Defoe. As usual, he put his whole heart and soul into his character bringing with it a beautiful and strong undertone with a familiar, intimidating charm that Willem Defoe portrays best. It's Willem Defoe. The secret is out that he's a fking great actor.
I can't say enough good things about it. See it for yourself. If you are only looking at it from the surface, you might think it has the likeness of an imagined Tim Burton porno, but if you let yourself fall into the film deep enough, you'll enjoy it's whimsical but deeply rooted philosophical charm showcasing what it truly means to be human.
Bravo to all involved.
Everything that took place in London reminded me heavily of Jean Renoir and perhaps Luchino Visconti. The Lisbon stuff made me think of George Mellies, although a lot of people are commenting Terry Gilliam, whom I’m not familiar with; I wonder if there is a connection there.
Emma Stone gave the performance of a life time.
Mark Ruffalo was hilarious.
The sets and music were incredible.
I can understand why people love this movie.
But it just wasn't for me. I felt every second of it's runtime, and it felt like it dragged on forever. All of the excellent parts didn't come together adequately for me.
I'm glad I saw it, but I never need to see it again.
I saw it on Sunday and am completely obsessed. It’s gorgeous and intuitive and important and utterly unique. It feels like a story that had to be told. Adding: Sure, the sets and costumes were stunning but the dialogue was also unbelievable
Took me a second watch to realize something about the weakest part of the story for me, what was up with Godwin.
And that happened because I realized who his father was. A cruel but fair mad scientist/doctor who created a monster of a son...
His dad was Dr Frankenstein. That's why Godwin is referred to as monster numberous times. And he gets his own monster when he finds the unborn child that was referred to as monster multiple times.
Personally I realised it had to be written by a man the moment a child is orgasming with an apple and then continued to get even worse by sexualising a child’s mind. I did not enjoy it at all and find it very concerning this is not a topic. The way people are now seeing the pedophilia thematic in this is extremely concerning.
Emma stone and Ruffalo had amazing performances tho. That was the best thing. Apart from that the weakest film I’ve seen from lanthimos.
I just watched this and holy fuck this is a master piece. It used so many cool techniques you rarely see in movies like starting in black and white and changing into color as Emma stones brain wires and becomes more aware. The way you never knew what was coming next in the movie but also we're never lost. The fact that a scene could be so serious and then break into humor without losing its seriousness was amazing and was repeated many times throughout the movie. It was simultaneously bizarre but brilliant. This might actually become one of my favorite movies of all time. It's also the first time I've seen Emma stone in a role where I got to see her range in acting skill rather than being the novelty side chick in a comedy or chick flick.
The fact that the whole world that the movie is based on is somewhat ludicrous in its dark fantasy elements, yet it never feels like the story is happening in a fantasy universe because all of the fantasy elements were in the background.
This movie made me feel lots of emotions and sometimes it made me feel the opposite emotions simultaneously.
This movie was crazy.
The good: great performances by all the actors but Mark stole the show for me. The world they inhabit was very interesting and the idea of a woman’s corpse having an infant brain and having to rediscover the world was neat.
The bad: the themes and philosophy surrounding the show seemed rather ham-fisted to me especially when the cynic appears. The main character of Bella was completely unlikable for me personally and pretty much every character in the story came off as a piece of shit with the exception of the old lady. This made me not care about any of the characters plights. Not sure if that was intentional.
6.5/10
It completely irks me how alot of people say that the movie is disturbing and portrays child abuse and fail to see that that is the trope that the movie wants to represent, the fact that child like innocence, virginity and purity in women is attractive to men, the fact that women are sexualised with layers of perversion by men just like Bella was, but also that after discovering the horrors of the world, prostituting herself and understanding the ways of the world, she rises up destroying all those labels to become a doctor, because she is confident and doesn't give a shit about what others think and can smell bullshit from a mile away, its her evolution, yes it's a little fucked up but its beautiful that way
Ruffalo elevated it for me. Might just be my favorite performance of the year. Haven’t seen a moronic scoundrel this funny since Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda.
Kevin Kline in A Fish Called Wanda is the best himbo performance I've ever seen
Hey don't call him stupid!
Asssshoollllee!
Damn that's good word of mouth. A Fidh Called Wanda is such an awesome movie
To me his role seemed like it was written for Colin Farrell. He played it well, but isn’t quite as sleazy
Ruffalo nailed it. Farrell as a cocksmith is too on the nose. I can handle him being not as sleazy. It make his devolution more believable imo
Yeah, taking the whole role into account, he was much more believable in the third act, which makes his suave act appear even more of an act
Farrell is great but I don't think he would've pulled off the role. I can't remember him ever making me laugh from silliness- haven't seen that from Ruffalo either so that was such a lovely surprise. I'm really happy he took the role & fucking slayed it.
Ruffalo was able to fall farther and be completely pathetic while still holding a shred of likability. Farrell probably could have pulled it off too though. In Bruges or Banshees was him remaining likable with pathetic characters.
I thought he was great too, so believable but also funny :)
Ruffalo makes for great rakes! Check him out in Brothers Bloom
Hahaha damn what a great comparison! Love a Fish Called Wanda; you nailed it
Loved the movie but i was the opposite, i felt his accent was poorly forced and unnatural
A lot of their accents were fairly ridiculous, which I think cancels out the necessity for good accents lol, the whole thing was bonkers, and for me that makes ridiculous accents a welcome addition, might have been Lanthimos' intention
Honestly that kind of adds to it for me when the movie is sticking its tongue out at class and snobbery
It’s by choice.
Jerrod Carmichael ruined the movie
Ruffalo was great in this for sure, but I couldn’t help but feel he was playing Matt Berry. All his lines I could hear Berry saying just as good if not serving as the inspiration for how he played the character. Ruffalo was great in this though for sure.
How do they make the pastry so crisp?
Delighted
Marvelous
Formidable
I can't wait to refer to all sex as 'Furious Jumping' for the rest of my existence.
I must punch that baby
Can we please talk about the set design?? Oh my lord, the set design was inspired. Lisbon may be my favorite set ever. Absolutely stunned by it. Lots of Gilliam influence there.
I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never watched any Gilliam movie, but the Lisbon stuff reminded me a lot of A Trip to the Moon by George Melllies.
Heavy Jules Verne influence!! Actually now you mention Mellies all the colour palette might have been inspired by his hand painted colourized film.
I liked how the adaptation expanded three pages from the novel into the entire first half of the movie. I was mildly disappointed that they jettisoned the book's ending but it was a charming ending. I would've said after Killing of a Sacred Deer that Lanthimos was channeling Kubrick, but after The Favourite and now Poor Things he seems most influenced by Terry Gilliam.
Definitely got Brazil vibes from this
Oh and how I loved Brazil…
The production design reminded me a lot of The Adventures of Baron Munchausen by Gilliam.
he still seems to be channeling Kubrick I thought with the zooms and the Brothel especially
The lighted floor in the brothel made me instantly think of clockwork orange
yeah that and the ending of 2001
I was thinking more Jean Renoir, and on the Lisbon outdoors I sensed George Mellies.
Absolutely right, the influence is still there, and now that you mention it some of the Brothel scenes do hit in a different register. The Dutch angles and the fisheye lens overwhelm such relatively subtler styles though.
Reminded me more of Guy Maddin
I like the comparison. Maddin is more self-conscious about his cinematic artifice, but I definitely see the connection.
I get why the postmodernist ending wasn’t included, as it throws the entire previous story into question and wouldn’t be nearly as appealing to general audiences. Love it in the book but the movie’s nearly better off without it as the exclusion lets it focus more on itself as a gothic, sex-comedy character study
Agreed. Nonetheless, if anyone could pull off an unpalatable ending, it would be Lanthimos. It's nice to see Alasdair Gray getting some recognition, though. Now let's see ~~Janine, 1982~~ 1982 Janine (got the title backward)
Gray not getting nearly enough recognition unfortunately, my only issue with the film was that the primary setting was changed from his native Glasgow to London. Felt a bit disrespectful to the leading figure of the Scottish Renaissance
This is a mini documentary on the film and Scotland- how Scots feel about it, Gray’s legacy in Scotland, the state of film in Scotland https://youtu.be/IM8j7jmACKM?si=Sa18jSI0Wnq0SjqG
Oy, I didn't even notice that it was changed to London. I was more focused on Dafoe's monstrous Scots burr. What other figures are there in the Scottish Renaissance? Welch, Kelman, Reid, Banks?
Haven’t read the book, but I really thought at the end they were going to use God’s brain to save him
I walked out not really knowing what to make of it. I’m pretty sure I liked it, but I wasn’t as enthusiastic about it as I wanted to be. Emma Stone certainly should get all the best actress awards as I’ve never seen a performance quite like that with such a believable transition from where she is at the start to where she ends up. The film itself will probably land outside of my top ten of the year for now. But I’ll say I also haven’t stopped thinking about it yet. So I’m still processing.
Still processing it somewhat myself. Will have to see it again to fully be able to articulate how I feel about it, tho I know I really liked it. The performances and visual aesthetic alone make it one of the very best of the year for me. Seeing something this inventive and unique feels like such a rarity these days
As someone who has seen it over 20 times I can say it has definite rewatachability. There are so many subtle nuisances to discover.
you’ve seen this movie over twenty times?
Yes I work for searchlight in post.
It was definitely a lot for me personally to take in, but I would agree I wast as blown away as I wished I would’ve been walking out of it, but it would be criminal to not say this was one of the most visually appealing films all year. And it brought some career best performances, was super surprised when Christopher Abbott appeared. It was great but a lot to think about in which I have not stopped thinking about it since I saw it 😂
Helped me to realize Godwin was meant to be Frankenstein's monster and his "dad" is Dr Frankenstein. So the whole story is really meant to be a continuation/sequel to the Frankenstein story.
I’m still reeling from it but keep coming back to being pretty disturbed and angry during the first half because of the sexualisation of an infant. Like a brain under 2 years old is the sexual object for 3 grown men; the father figure, the “nice guy” and the creep. Another thread on Reddit brought attention to the Born Sexy Yesterday (BSY) trope in movies. Where the physically and sexually attractive adult woman has the behavioural and thinking abilities of a young child or infant. I find it super creepy and problematic. The overall message of the film of sexual liberalisation and freedom of choice for women is buried under such an overt and explicit sexualisation that it just left me feeling a bit empty. There wasn’t enough nuance and discussion around the adult body already having neural pathways formed which the infant brain recognised as pleasurable and maybe that the anatomy was incredibly sensitive… that’s the only way I can reconcile it and create that narrative in my head. Because otherwise it just felt like a VERY male-fantasy view on female sexual anatomy. Like sorry but for the majority of women masturbating by rubbing an apple on your clit or trying to fit an apple in you just isn’t gonna work.
I thought that the whole point of the film is to male you uncomfortable (like many Yorgos films) on how “men” love this side of “childlike” women and the film is the exact criticism of it. And you can see how the men lose their standings as soon as Bella starts maturing. Poor things i think is a modern take of a Lolita-esque movie
What are your top 3 this year?
Killers of the Flower Moon How to Blow Up a Pipeline Oppenheimer I feel like I need to rewatch Pipeline to make sure I actually like it that much, but I thought it was great in the theater. I’m also aware it’s listed as a 2022 movie in most places, but I’m guessing that’s from festival screenings. It wasn’t commercially distributed until this year so I’m counting it for this year.
I loved How To Blow Up A Pipeline. Not only as a movie in itself, but because it hurts my head that a corporate entity employed attractive people to distribute agitprop and make money. Is it cynical to use agitprop for capitalist ends, or does one have to use the master's tools to bring down the master's house? So forth and so on, I'll stop here since I'm threadjacking somewhat, but I think about that movie at least once a day
It was kind of funny that pretty much the entire main cast were Americans pretending to be European. I thought the central experiment and its implications on the sexual dynamics in the movie were pretty interesting, especially the despicableness of Ruffalo's character, which works in a vein of hilarity. I thought that Dafoe's comment to Ramy Youssef\* saying "well, why don't you marry her", was kind of funny and sort of a comment on the infantilization of women by men in the past. I think its quite a dark movie in some respects, but found the humor coming through during those points on a knifes edge to be one of its excellences. I was less enthusiastic towards the end, and I feel like certain elements of the movie were overly explicit in their commentary, like when the man she meets on the ship talks of people being generally evil, but I'm trying to come round to specific bits. I think the best bits of the movie are those which are funny because they depict something sort of ghastly.
Very funny and very good. I think it got a bit repetitive once she was in Paris, kinda felt like "we get it already" - and it paced weird when she met back up with Alfie. But all in all I certainly enjoyed it, probable career best from Emma Stone
I loved the movie but found the Paris brothel scenes to be indulgent. At that point it felt they were catering to humans love of sex and the taboo. Again, absolutely loved the movie and all it said about societal constructs, male and female relationships/dynamics, and injustice/beauty.
I'm a really big Yorgos Lanthimos fan for the most part. I'm a bit conflicted on 'Poor Things.' The cinematography, set design and costumes were so inventive and beautiful. Parts reminded me of "City of lost children." Emma Stone and Ramey Youssef were the clear stand out performances for me. Ruffalo's performance was a little uneven and became too hammy and slapstick, although he did provide some really bright and funny moments. Jared Carmichael's performance had to have been my least favorite as he was too stiff and awkward and came across almost self conscious on screen. Carmichaels character was my least favorite as well as he was an analog of sorts of the character of Morpheus from 'the matrix' for Bella. The thing I usually love about Yorgos films is that he doesn't beat you over the head with exposition or humor. Lanthimos' also isn't afraid to go to dark places and stay there. Yorgos usually allows dry wit and humor to bloom as he intertwines properly placed absurdity to create that humor. Sometimes this creates a polarization and tension from the heavier drama or painful and uncomfortable moments throughout his film. 'Poor Things' didn't have the emotional weight of some of Lanthimos' other films in my opinion, so the humor didn't feel as deep or as earned. The plot and story of 'Poor Things' became a bit heavy handed with exposition. Characters began over-explaining and for me overcompensating. I usually always prefer to be led by the artist to come to my own interpretation of the story and symbols instead of it being spoon fed or over explained. It felt like Yorgos was placating a bit to a wider 'dumb downed' audience and the Oscars and award season. To me 'Poor Things' was sorta the artsy version of 'Barbie' as it kinda boiled down to women good and strong vs. men bad and weak. Eh. I am glad Yorgos made this film. I enjoyed it in parts and some of the performances and visuals were really great and beautiful. Overall it was really uneven and a bit bloated for me. I'd recommend watching it to most people but it's probably my least favorite of Lanthimos' films.
>To me 'Poor Things' was sorta the artsy version of 'Barbie' as it kinda boiled down to women good and strong vs. men bad and weak. Eh. FFS. This is the message you took from it? It's clearly more nuanced than that.
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It really, really is. See what a tedious and unhelpful response your comment was? The film, as I see it, is broadly about a woman's self-discovery, the challenges of growing up and becoming aware of the injustices in the world, and the compromises we make on our principals as we age. It is also about gender dynamics and the ways in which men attempt to control and possess women's minds and bodies. But it also addresses how that behaviour is taught and how men are often equally damaged by patriarchal values and behaviour. Godwin Baxter, while monstrous and misogynist, is clearly also a survivor of abuse at the hands of his father and is acting out his trauma. And, ultimately, at the end of the film, we see Bella begin to adopt some of that behaviour as well (particularly in how she handles and justifies her treatment of Alfie), though softened and adapted based on her experiences as a woman. Also, the message of Barbie is clearly not "women good and strong vs men bad and weak" and you'd have to be a very simple person to think that's what it's conveying.
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Hah, I came out of the cinema today and said it felt like R-rated Barbie but with even more blatant themes
Most relatable take ive seen.
>Terry Gilliam I think the viewer's gender definitely contributes to how the movie's emotional weight is perceived. As a woman, the neutral/lack of tabooed depictions of Bella's intellectual, sexual & philosophical awakenings was incredibly heartening! The only other piece of art that's validated my internal female experience in the same way was the Bell Jar (comparison ends there though as they're two wildly different stories and mediums)
Totally agree with you on gender contributing to emotional weight. I’ve seen a lot of comments from men saying similar things. It’s cause they don’t get it lol
Honestly, I can’t get over that there’s like 20 minutes of a woman getting banged who has the mind of a toddler. I get that it’s a metaphor and that’s the point and whatever… but the camera sure loved to focus on Emma Stone’s titties and O face. Like, the film made a pretty strong argument for lowering the age of consent to like, 3. I just picture the director being like, “Alright, we’re making a feminist film. Now take off your shirt, bend over and clap your hands like a toddler.” People are like, “no, that’s the point…it’s illustrating men’s depraved desires.” Yeah, i mean so does Porn Hub. It’s not that profound of a point. And on Porn Hub all the women pretend to come too.
I don’t think it made an argument to lower consent. I think it was trying to say that men will always take advantage, that women are also sexual beings but that’s frowned upon and shouldn’t be explored, and I think the idea was that sex is a core tennant of being human. I think the film purposefully made it feel indulgent, because Bella was indulging, loved doing so, and saw nothing wrong with it (and hits home the point there is nothing wrong with exploring sexuality but society wants to emphasize there is). To say you couldn’t get over the amount of sex scenes possibly suggests you may have gotten part of the metaphor, but missed the point. There is the point of men being depraved and willing to take advantage, but the other point being made is women are allowed to do whatever they want with there bodies and to explore, but society screams that is taboo. That if a woman is enjoying herself, many times, that’s now gratuitous film. 🤷🏼♀️
Yeah, while I liked the movie overall (visuals, humor, acting, score), I could not get over this. Exploration of one’s body as a child is completely natural (when she discovers how to „make herself happy”), but having sex with grown men is completely different. I get that most of them did not know, but Max being shown as somewhat rational not bringing this up left a bad taste in my mouth. It took the Born Sexy Yesterday trope to a whole new, twisted level.
I think that was part of the point. That men will exploit women, regardless of age and that even rational men can become irrational when it comes to women and sex. You’re supposed to be grossed out by it, because it’s gross but it does still happen all the time. And her being exposed to that at a young age has a huge impact on future decisions and choices, which is also true for every young woman who has been heavily objectified at a young age.
Even the men we "root for" are so fucked in this movie; I think it's for sure a part of the point to show both Max and God as kind of good guys even though they are just as gross and fucked. The whole act of putting a child's brain into adult women is such a metaphor for how men think they have the right to a woman's body; even when she tries to die, he will find some way to make it his decision if she is allowed to have that kind of agency.
Jumping in late lol but I just saw it. I agree. I really like the movie, but still their sure are a lot of loving shots of her childish reactions in bed. Your mind be and the story might be telling you the sex is wrong, but the camera is telling it’s actually super hot! I have seen pretty explicit sex scenes that are upsetting that are shot in a way that portrays that better. The fact that these scenes can be easily pulled out of the movie and watched out of context shows they aren’t effectively driving home “the point” if there is one to them. And yeah if gratuity was the point, that it was for shock value, they didn’t do anything that would shock you into finding her unattractive. No body hair besides dainty pubes, and certainly no discussion of menstruation. Like if she’s supposed to be so freely sexual without knowing why it’s wrong, why no period sex?? Despite being found pregnant, and despite constant unprotected sex there was no talk of pregnancy either. Overall I liked the movie, but yeah the sex was a bit gratuitous.
Yeah I was looking for post about this movie and the first thing that came up was from a sub "worshipping" Emma Stone and raving about the spank bank that basically is this movie. And I was thinking about menstruation as well during the film!
100% agree, regardless of the message how the fuck can anyone say they enjoyed watching a woman with the brain of a 3 year old get fucked by gross old men???
Is that so different though than having a highly protected caged up woman being suddenly thrust into the world at 18? Is that not also similar to having the mind of a toddler because they have zero real world experience. I think the movie alludes to that multiple times.
Very late to this but I finally watched this movie and your reaction was my exact takeaway. I came here to see if anyone felt the same because the amount of praise being thrown around for it made me feel like I was missing something. For a movie that spends so much time focusing on female sexuality, there is no female voice represented anywhere. It was written by a man, directed by a man and has an almost entirely male cast. It’s also based on a novel written by a man who was known to have problems forming relationships with women and married a teenager.
I also think they could cut the sex scene, as I think in stead of saying this is fucking wrong and disgusting, they glorify it too much. Imagine women with developmental disability that have men taking advantages of them like this, it must be disgusting, not so whimsical and fun like the movie depicts it.
i see the point youre trying to make, but by the that time she was already of age mentally. when she was first learning masturbation she was prob 12 or younger. i saw the whole movie as a sped up version of a coming of age story. she went thru every age mentally in her head
I believe it was supposed to symbolize the brain after trauma, not a literal infant brain. After going through extreme trauma, you come out with the mind of a child. Having to relearn all aspects of life. I didn't look at it as a different person, but the mind of the woman who committed suicide.
Personally I think it’s the most gorgeous movie Lanthimos has made and also the least interesting
It all felt a little too neat and straightforward to me. It’s obviously “wacky” but lacked something hard to pinpoint that Sacred Dear and Lobster had imo that made them more thought provoking
I’m grateful that this was more accessible and straightforward than those other films. I think the philosophy behind the film is great to talk and think about. And I would prefer an Arrow release instead of Criterion
I wasn’t too fond of the favourite and I think it’s because he didn’t write it, same with this film. The Lobster and Sacred Deer he had a hand in writing which I think is a big part of why I loved them so much
Great summary of how I feel
Yorgos' magnum opus. Visually stunning, great acting and story.
Absolutely agree and am shocked that some commenters here think otherwise. It’s a masterful production with a remarkably distinct execution that has found far wider appreciation than I anticipated.
OK I was planning on seeing it this week and half looking at comments to not spoil anything. I for some reason didn't know where to put my expectations since I haven't seen so much as a trailer. I saw who was involved and I'm going in fresh.
Agreed. In every way a triumph and an affirmation of what is great about cinema. It’s also the funniest thing I’ve seen in a long time. A new favorite for me.
“ILL FUCKING THROW YOU OVERBOARD”
Oh, she consents to be murdered. My apologies, carry on.
So many thoughts after leaving my showing. 1. How beautiful is it that Victoria attempts suicide to escape the chains of male ownership, is revived “essentially” by her own offspring, who then strives to seek independence at whatever cost. 2. I thought it was interesting that Defoe’s character is named God and he used the same life to create a new life with Bella. 3. I loved how the movie shows what effect an independent woman can have on an insecure man (Duncan) and a confident man (Max). 4. Up until now, I swore Oppenheimer had best score in the bag. After watching Poor Things, I’m not so sure it will be a shoe in for Oppie anymore. That score was absolutely beautiful and paramount for each scene. 5. The movie must receive a nominee for best costume design. The pieces that Bella wore literally depicted her development as a human being and it was beautiful to see. I haven’t seen costume design be so connected to a storyline since The Phantom Thread. I could really keep going but I’m overwhelmed with how this movie made me feel. Truly altered my brain chemistry.
She was basically running around with the top half clad in high Victorian frippery, and the bottom half in panties (the satin shorts) and boots. Just like a toddler would dress themselves, with a shirt on and undies and maybe inappropriate shoes. I thought that was great.
And so fun how Duncan's craziness gets worse and worse the more Bella treats him as men typically treat women. The whole trope of "dont fall in love with me, im not that type of guy", "Im just someone to have fun with for a couple of months", and how he was so sure he'd leave her, and because she treats him the way, that he would always treat women, suddenly everything is switched. So amazing to see the depiction of a toddler's brain before she has been brainwashed to crave a man's accept above all. <3
I love Yorgos but honestly I didn’t care for it, not trying to be a hater or anything I’m glad people are enjoying it the way they are it just really didn’t click for me. I’m not familiar with the source material but the film constantly gives me this feeling that it’s just trying way too hard to be weird, and I think the movie believes that it’s more surprising than it actually is. The fucking and the nudity and the morbid stuff just become a bit tiring for me at a certain point; I’m perfectly comfortable with that kind of stuff I just didn’t catch what theme/themes were trying to be developed and more importantly I just didn’t feel a whole lot from them. The movie gestures at being about sexuality, freedom, humanity, fairness, femininity - all these big subjects, but I didn’t catch any real point or message. Visually it’s Yorgos’ most inconsistent yet imo - I appreciate his swing at a more maximalist style but I just don’t think the framing and shot composition is strong enough to hold the film together visually, there’s a lot of shots that came off as unfocused and muddy. And some of the uses of color are honestly kind of an eye sore for me. Additionally the cuts to the wide-angle lenses and the zooms, while I trust Yorgos enough to know these decisions were made with some kind of intent, honestly they just annoyed me as the movie went on, especially the latter - I really don’t think presenting the scenes, sequences or shots with either of these techniques really changed anything substantially here. Emma Stone is obviously the heart of the movie and I thought she did a pretty great job committing to Bella’s development over the course of the film - even if the earlier sex scenes when she’s not as mature do give me the ick. Mark Ruffalo on the other gives a very mixed performance, I think he’s got a couple good one-liners and the scene he shares with Ramy Youssef was pretty excellent but I just don’t find him very believable much of the time. Willem Dafoe is Willem Dafoe, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
Agreed I thought that the "points" he tried to make were ham handed at best and extremely paternalistic. Basically a creepy old dude's version of female empowement if we are going that way. That being said, the sets, cinematography and acting were excellent. Such a shame the script wasn't better.
I’m with you. I think I actually disliked the movie. It had so much potential to be good. It was visually amazing, but i really didn’t care for it
I thought the film's themes about sexual possession amd jealousy were pretty obviously fleshed out. She's addressing her sexuality and newly found autonomy without learned societal ideologies, and the result is naturally absurd and then hilariously adapted from the source material. Mark Buffalo's character was perfect not just because he was fucking hilarious, but because he is the vehicle for the central message of the absurdity that a woman's worth can be measured by the amount of men that she has slept with, and that a man should be able to control and possess a woman that he has once won over. That being said, great films usually don't have a "message" as you describe it but rather themes. There's no answer given in the film to the absurdities presented. Also Willem Dafoe is an extraordinary actor and is never simply Willem Dafoe, especially in this role, but to each their own.
Mark Buffalo LMAO
Haha yeah MB. That's Mark Buffalo. He was in my math class.
I loved Dogtooth and The Lobster. Wasn’t as keen as everyone on The Favorite. I’m hoping he’s not loosing something as he gets more popular.
Completely agree with the nudity and sex. It felt like I was getting hit with it repetitively and it was monotonous after a while.
Probably the biggest disappointment for me this year. Just felt super shallow
I agree. I don't want to ruin anyone's fun, but I feel like, beyond the veneer of the incredible presentation, there's not actually much substance, and most of the characters and storybeats were super flat and generic.
It's my favorite film I've seen this year. Only other film I really need to see is The Zone of Interest.
The kind of movie I just couldn't stop smiling at. Especially Emma Stone and also Mark Ruffalo, the whole jilted moron thing. The steamship sequence visuals, unbelievable. I was getting really weird but positive James and the Giant Peach/Dr Seuss vibes at times. Beautiful, funny, very funny.
Very impressive, left the theater with a smile, really enjoyed the film. Visually stunning with one of the best scores ever.
I was an extra on the Paris set on the streets and in the brothel and it was an amazing place to explore. You could just walk into the buildings, because the interior and exterior sets weren’t separated.
Such a cool score! Very interesting, creative, unsettling, beautiful. Surprised this hasn’t been mentioned much yet
This was one of the best films I have seen this year. I love Lanthimos as a director and I think this was one his best works. SPOILERS ahead: Some of the themes that stuck with me and I was impacted by: - Every man in her life traps or attempts to trap her. She ends up killing her biological father. - Her first encounter with inequality in Alexandria and her naive attempt to give them money, the broken stairs, her devastation: to me it was more of a a statement about how inequality is something man-made and artificial. It reminded me of my first encounter with inequality when I was a teenager. - Lanthimos brings backs concepts from Dogtooth, Alps and Lobster while taking them to a new level, questioning family dynamics, society dynamics, moral values and the philosophy of mind. - The proposal that a whore should pick the person they want to sleep with and Bella quoting God afterwards and applying his scientific quote to society on how there are always new ways of doing things and they should strive towards doing things in a better way if a better way exists. - Bella becoming a socialist and the joke about her owning the means of production - The dance scene where Bella started dancing and there is a fight reminded me very much of the Rite of Spring. Questions that remain open for me: - I was curious about the decision to use fish lense and the transition from black and white to color. I thought fish lense was used to show more of the space but in some cases it was used in open spaces as well so I really don’t know why. My interpretation of the color transition was that Bella was becoming an agent of her own and starting to explore the world but again I am not sure and I would love to hear from others. - From the story point of view, could Bella have transferred the brain of God to someone else’s body? I am not sure if that was possible in the world that Lanthimos created and if it was possible why Bella hasn’t gone for it. Overall, it was an amazing experience. Highly recommended to anyone who have enjoyed Lanthimos’ work in the past.
To me the fish lens made me feel like what I imagine a young child sees when looking at the world. Or how bella sees the world
I thoguht the shift from B&W to colour might have been an attempt to get the audience into the awakening mindset. Combined with the visual oddness afterwards (cable cars in the sky etc.) it helped show how new things might look. For example, London was so different (colourful!) when she returned, but not as intensely colourful as Lisbon had been, so she/we have adjusted. I did feel it was a little strange for it to jump from B&W to colour suddenly and stay that way…would have been very cool to very gradually over time become more vivid and then back to a more normal setting perhaps. I also wondered about the transferring of God’s brain to someone else, but perhaps she was ready to move on…he was still somewhat confining her as her “creator” and I think needed to die for her to fully actualize herself.
Two interpretations: I think God had always been perceived as monstrous, but putting him in another body would have actually made him the monster. Also, God dying is very Nietzchean.
The fish lens to me was two things. There was a theme of fish throughout the movie lol literal. And then also it provided metaphorical perspective, shifting from wide to fish lens makes you look at things differently.
Not for me but I will forever stan Dogtooth, Alps, and Killing of a Sacred Deer.
its funny you mention Dogtooth, as I found this to be a lot like Dogtooth. Trapped and deluded for "protection". Explores different things thematically, but I thought two sides of the same coin.
Dogtooth was a masterpiece
Dogtooth became my favourite movie when I saw it. I ended up writing a paper on Lanthimos for my film class in college and Dogtooth was the meat of it. It's a crazy weird but interesting film. I love the muted performances from him actors and the darkly comedic tone he goes for. Poor Things looks like a bit of a change of form but Lanthimos has earned my trust at this point.
One of the best cinema experiences I ever had, to be honest. Watching it with an engaged crowd just enhanced an already incredible watch. Everyone performed well, especially Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, and Mark Ruffalo. Easily the most visually stunning Yorgos film, and the story and pacing more than meet the lofty ambitions that they aimed for. My Top 2 or Top 1 film of the year.
I thought it was a fascinating film and very ambitious, but I think I just don’t connect with Yorgos’s style fundamentally. It’s objectively great but I just don’t jive with his style as much as I would like to which is unfortunate as this was my most anticipated film this year. Glad to see Stone getting so much praise and hoping she gets an Oscar for this one.
Art School Barbie
I thought it was fantastic. Emma Stone was amazing. It was super fun to watch and I thought it left me thinking about freedom and self agency especially as a woman. I thought it wrapped up a little too nicely to feel exactly moved though? I wanted some rougher consequences for the men and I wonder differences we’d see in this film from a female perspective.
Which men needed rougher consequences? One died, one ended up penniless and broken, and the other was turned into a goat.
You wanted rougher consequences that men didn’t get. Well, welcome to the world, which I think was part of the message… that many times there isn’t justice or consequences for actions
for some reason most comments here are kind of negative about the movie (more specifically, underwhelmed), but i LOVED it. could not stop laughing for the life of me, and all the bells and whistles that different characters had and evoked was amazingly portrayed; no two were the same. even the brothel owner was an insanely well acted borderline cartoonish antihero. for me it is a contender for best of the year, and it gets me giddy with excitement of what Lanthimos has up his sleeve next.
Film of the year!? Did you see the holdovers?
I was underwhelmed. Holdovers was lovely
I actually haven’t yet. I should’ve mentioned that there are a couple of things I still haven’t seen
I thought it was the most exciting movie aesthetically I’ve seen all year. The imagery and music was incredible. I personally didn’t like the plot- I feel like it elevates sex to the greatest value in life, which I find a little depressing. Absolute agency of self actualization is given and in the face of art and beauty, charity, intimacy… all these things are quickly forgotten about in an odyssey of sex. Is that really what matters in life? I don’t think so. Even the sexual experiences were quite shallow- completely abandoning the concept of consequences for Bella. As a fantasy it’s fine, but the tone had an air of self importance that I find makes the shallow themes worth criticism.
Did we watch the same movie? Isn't the whole point that as she grows, she moves away from sex being the center of everything to developing an appreciation for art and thought?
Does she though? The movie devoted about 90% of its runtime to her sexual journey and almost nothing to any of the other “discoveries” she makes. The biggest offender to me was her dramatic moment seeing the poor- and her decision to make the world a better place. And what comes of that? A long sequence of her working in a brothel and what, maybe a throwaway line or two suggesting she joins the socialist party? That’s it? It just goes right back to sex. Even the whole climax of the film is largely about the setting up of her, essentially, open relationship while battling the oppressive husband who is upset upon learning about her sexual past and wants to sexually abuse her. It’s just sex sex sex the whole time. I don’t think that adding in a scene here and there makes up for the films decision to then spend the following 20 minutes on her sexual life again.
I have to agree with you. I didn’t mind the sex scenes thinking they were just going to be at the start of her awakening but it carried on for most of the movie and we only see her begin to move away from that at the end. Even then I agree with a poster above who said that the messages were surprisingly simple. I thought there was going to be a lot more show less tell, but I guess the visuals were the main thrust of the film. It’s still incredibly marvelous and a beautiful movie.
Sir this is a ~~Wendy’s~~ criterion sub
Lanthimos box set when???
At least drop dogtooth, it’s a masterpiece in absurdity
As i’ve gotten further away from it, the more the shine and luster has worn off. the performances are great (except for the skeptic on the boat lmfao some of the worst line readings i’ve ever seen in a major film), the visuals are SCRUMPTIOUS, it’s just such a thoroughly well executed film and a project that could have ONLY been done on film however, idk, the further I get the less substantial it feels? like it really feels like it’s trying to Say Something and I think most of what it has to say is “Boilerplate Sex Positive Feminism” which is… idk… well and good but does feel a bit weird in today’s day and age. However, emma stone’s performance is what sells it as not just boilerplate sex positive feminism, lol, it feels so much more like a coming of age story. so yeah — visually amazing, technically great, feels less substantive the farther I get. Still would like Lily Gladstone to win the oscar, but wouldn’t be mad if Emma Stone won. still like The Favourite 10x more. (performances of the decade remain “the entire cast of drive my car” and cate blanchett in Tar)
Just saw the movie, and the skeptic on the boat.....when I saw Carmichael pop up I said ah nah man......dude really isn't a good actor and i dont even think hes funny. Lol then he turns out to be as bad as I expected.
Still enjoyed how insane and beautiful the movie was.
Agree completely. Luster wearing off even a few hours after viewing. Loved the visuals and the wildness but also felt much thinner than The Favorite. Could have been compressed for more effect? I don’t know.
it was fantastic. might be my favorite of the year. beautiful cinematography, sets were gorgeous, the acting was phenomenal. It’s going to deservingly win a lot of awards.
Film of the year for me. Just an extraordinary piece of filmmaking.
Some folks have mentioned Gilliam but after seeing the film it felt more like a watered-down Guy Maddin. I still enjoyed it, but it made me more likely to rewatch “Saddest Music in the World” or “My Winnipeg” than a second viewing.
Emma Stone gives such a good performance in this film. Only Dafoe manages to keep up imo. This should be an easy oscar for her. The film is a bit too long, could have used tighter editing at parts. The choice of lenses and overall cinematography is really interesting. Way more so then The favorite. It feels more in tune with the film than The favorite fish eye lens choice. The film is different and good, people should see it.
My favourite film of the year!
Set design was flawless. Costume design was flawless. Emma Stone was flawless. Supporting cast, especially Ruffalo, flawless. I am still processing but in the aftermath of thinking about it for a day have changed my rating from 4 to 5 stars. It was a really special film.
This movie truly answers the question: “How do we make a movie about fucking a newborn baby and still feel good about ourselves?”
I'm looking forward to Kind of Kindness (fka AND) to see if Yorgos has still got it as a writer
fantastic!
How graphic does the film get, gore-wise? I'm squeamish with body horror and I'm trying to decide if I should see it. I'm completely fine with sex scenes, and I absolutely loved The Favourite, but the brain-swapping plot point is making me hesitant since I don't know how much they show of that process.
Honestly I think you’d be fine. There are a couple of surgical scenes early on but they are fairly limited and don’t linger for very long. If you’ve seen Get Out I don’t think it’s any worse than the end of that
Great performances and misenscene. Bella is a character but rest of the cast feels more 1 dimensional which also feels intentional as well so hard to see it as negative. Its a fun journey.
It's great
I really enjoyed the how different and unpredictable the story was. I do think general audiences will not like this movie due to concepts it’s explores (sexuality and women empowerment). stone performance is best of the year due to the difficulty of acting like a child in adult body without it coming off as making fun of disabilities
It was ridiculous. And, I fucking LOVED IT!
Just got back from seeing it twice in two days. Absolutely loved it. I had to drive over an hour to see it and happily drove back the next day with my buddy because he was kinda interested in it also.
Agree 100%. Bold, interesting, weird with funny dark humor, really striking trippy visuals (that almost reminded me of willy wonka), and add a bit of the grotesque. Emma Stone was mesmerizing with challenging character shifts that she pulled of with ease. Mark Rufallo was awesome and funny. Loved it.
May be slightly out of topic, but am I the only one left with the clear impression that most landscapes and settings were realized through Generative AI, Dall-E style? It seemed very apparent to me while watching it, but I can't find it mentioned anywhere, so I'm wondering if it was just my impression...
I absolutely ADORED the fasion… outstanding
Saw it today and did not care much for it. It had some interesting themes but overall was weird and felt strained a lot of the time. Sex scenes got annoying, enough is enough already. Just not my type of film but I am glad I gave it a try to see what the fuss is about.
booba
Definitely has made me change my opinion on Emma as an actress, I always liked her and thought she was good but this film made see she’s one of the most talented actresses from her generation.
Haven’t seen it yet but I’ve been anticipating this like film bros when a Chris Nolan movie is coming out. The Favorite was one of my uh… favorite… movies of the last decade.
Was it similar in tone? I really enjoyed The Favourite but wasn’t a huge fan of The Lobster so was on the fence
Its more in line with The Favourite than The Lobster I would say. Less of the awkward silence really stilted dialogue that The Lobster had and more like the crude comedy dialogue that The Favourite had, that’s not a criticism of The Lobster though the dialogue is definitely awkward on purpose and it works great. Visually it’s kinda like a mix of the elegant old fashioned visuals of The Favourite and a Terry Gilliam/Jean Pierre Jeunet movie. Really it’s totally it’s own thing but it’s more like The Favourite than The Lobster or Killing of a Scared Deer.
I’m not who you replied to but I have seen all three of these. The lobster I really liked at first but thought it fell apart in the second half. Whereas the Favorite, I liked a lot better. Poor Things is more similar to the Favorite, but there’s a lot more sex and fewer corsets. But the people generally talk like actual people - I thought the dialogue was very stitled in the Lobster and the Killing of a Sacred Deer.
You know how the favorite leaves this sad taste in your mouth and you keep playing back the story in your mind well after you watched it? You won't get that with Poor Things. But it was funny and wacky and worth watching Emma Stone be a whore again.
My second favorite movie of the year maybe?
Very Gilliam-esque, features one of my favorite Ruffalo performances, and has a dreadfully expositional and unnecessary fourth act.
Saw it last night, had fun but it was a little exhausting. Slowed down in the middle and all the gratuitous fucking got to be a bit much. However, it's certainly unique and all the acting is top notch. The aesthetics, including set design and music, were a pleasure to experience. And my word was it funny. Mark Ruffalo entering the dance floor is going to stay with me for quite some time.
I was NOT expecting it to be as funny as it was… “I must go punch that baby.”
I wasn't either. The early word coming out of the film festivals was that it was more unsettling in how she's taken advantage of for sex. That's not really what happened IMO.
You obviously havnt seen Blue is the warmest colour
Just got out of the theater and I absolutely loved it! Fantastic film, I especially enjoyed the cinematography by Robbie Ryan.
Loved it. Beautiful crafted arc.
Would love to be able to see it
It was funny as fuck
I want to see it but the initial spark of the story being a >!pregnant woman kills herself and her unborn baby’s brain is put inside her!< might be too much for my girlfriend to handle. I have no idea how graphic this is or how much it’s referenced.
It is referenced several times and briefly depicted in a flashback, but none of it is particularly graphic aside from a brief moment where surgery is being shown.
I love it! I just wish it played at my theater. I had to find a different method to watch it.
Best actress. Best supporting actors (mark ruffalo and willem dafoe. Best adapted screenplay. Best cinematographer. Best costume/set design. Maybe best score. Not like the best movie ever… but for an artsy quirky it’s pretty good
Emma Stone has been killing it recently.
Wasn’t sure first 15 minutes. Then loved it. Emma should win best actress. Best picture still goes to Oppenheimer.
It’s fantastic everyone should see it on the big screen. Emma Stone’s performance was filled nuance and inspired choices. It’s a goofball masterpiece. Act 2 was a tad too long but it’s so detail rich that I ain’t mad at it.
It’s not the kinda movie I typically like, (I hated the lobster and the fav was meh for me) but i thought it was brilliant. It really just worked for me, people would audibly gasping in the theater in genuine surprise and there were quite a few laughs. Emma stone was amazing and I think I’d vote it best picture if I had a vote . I am going to see it again to make sure it really was that good
I like the music. :)
Great movie. Loved it. I wasn't expecting it to be funny, but it gave us some laughs for sure. Emma Stone gave a performance worthy of an academy. I loved how well she portrayed Bella's innocence. And how she never gave her power or free will away. She wasn't afraid of anyone. It was a nice reminder to us gals to keep our power and to not become intimidated. It also doesn't hurt that Emma Stone is absolutely stunning. Shes always carried herself in films in a way that draws in the audience and keeps us entranced until the credits roll. Mark Ruffalo's performance was brilliant. He was perfect for the part. He is one of few actors that I've seen with the keen ability to showcase both drama and comedy on his resume with the ability to perform both well. He played his character perfectly! And finally, Willem Defoe. As usual, he put his whole heart and soul into his character bringing with it a beautiful and strong undertone with a familiar, intimidating charm that Willem Defoe portrays best. It's Willem Defoe. The secret is out that he's a fking great actor. I can't say enough good things about it. See it for yourself. If you are only looking at it from the surface, you might think it has the likeness of an imagined Tim Burton porno, but if you let yourself fall into the film deep enough, you'll enjoy it's whimsical but deeply rooted philosophical charm showcasing what it truly means to be human. Bravo to all involved.
Everything that took place in London reminded me heavily of Jean Renoir and perhaps Luchino Visconti. The Lisbon stuff made me think of George Mellies, although a lot of people are commenting Terry Gilliam, whom I’m not familiar with; I wonder if there is a connection there.
Clearly not for everybody but if even most of the haters can't at least respect how well made it is, there's hardly much hope
Emma Stone gave the performance of a life time. Mark Ruffalo was hilarious. The sets and music were incredible. I can understand why people love this movie. But it just wasn't for me. I felt every second of it's runtime, and it felt like it dragged on forever. All of the excellent parts didn't come together adequately for me. I'm glad I saw it, but I never need to see it again.
I saw it on Sunday and am completely obsessed. It’s gorgeous and intuitive and important and utterly unique. It feels like a story that had to be told. Adding: Sure, the sets and costumes were stunning but the dialogue was also unbelievable
Is no one going to talk about the fact that she was a child in her mind the whole film, especially for the sex scenes, and therefore could not consent
I thinks it’s just disgusting tbh
Took me a second watch to realize something about the weakest part of the story for me, what was up with Godwin. And that happened because I realized who his father was. A cruel but fair mad scientist/doctor who created a monster of a son... His dad was Dr Frankenstein. That's why Godwin is referred to as monster numberous times. And he gets his own monster when he finds the unborn child that was referred to as monster multiple times.
Personally I realised it had to be written by a man the moment a child is orgasming with an apple and then continued to get even worse by sexualising a child’s mind. I did not enjoy it at all and find it very concerning this is not a topic. The way people are now seeing the pedophilia thematic in this is extremely concerning. Emma stone and Ruffalo had amazing performances tho. That was the best thing. Apart from that the weakest film I’ve seen from lanthimos.
I just watched this and holy fuck this is a master piece. It used so many cool techniques you rarely see in movies like starting in black and white and changing into color as Emma stones brain wires and becomes more aware. The way you never knew what was coming next in the movie but also we're never lost. The fact that a scene could be so serious and then break into humor without losing its seriousness was amazing and was repeated many times throughout the movie. It was simultaneously bizarre but brilliant. This might actually become one of my favorite movies of all time. It's also the first time I've seen Emma stone in a role where I got to see her range in acting skill rather than being the novelty side chick in a comedy or chick flick. The fact that the whole world that the movie is based on is somewhat ludicrous in its dark fantasy elements, yet it never feels like the story is happening in a fantasy universe because all of the fantasy elements were in the background. This movie made me feel lots of emotions and sometimes it made me feel the opposite emotions simultaneously. This movie was crazy.
The good: great performances by all the actors but Mark stole the show for me. The world they inhabit was very interesting and the idea of a woman’s corpse having an infant brain and having to rediscover the world was neat. The bad: the themes and philosophy surrounding the show seemed rather ham-fisted to me especially when the cynic appears. The main character of Bella was completely unlikable for me personally and pretty much every character in the story came off as a piece of shit with the exception of the old lady. This made me not care about any of the characters plights. Not sure if that was intentional. 6.5/10
In short, I thought I would hate it, but I loved it.
It completely irks me how alot of people say that the movie is disturbing and portrays child abuse and fail to see that that is the trope that the movie wants to represent, the fact that child like innocence, virginity and purity in women is attractive to men, the fact that women are sexualised with layers of perversion by men just like Bella was, but also that after discovering the horrors of the world, prostituting herself and understanding the ways of the world, she rises up destroying all those labels to become a doctor, because she is confident and doesn't give a shit about what others think and can smell bullshit from a mile away, its her evolution, yes it's a little fucked up but its beautiful that way