We’ve seen the story of ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Pinocchio’ done so many times, but one tweak can bring a whole new take to the story that we know and love, like if the creature was not only a woman with a child-like mind but also is a nymphomaniac at such an early stage.
From the eerie fish-eye lens and beautiful colorful shots that almost seem like a drunken cartoon, ‘Poor Things’ feels like both a nightmare and something out of the slapstick humor era.
A movie that holds such a strong message not only about a woman learning to become conscious again and learning who she was; while also dealing with the struggles women have faced and still do throughout modern times.
Director Yorgos Lanthimos brings us a new take on the beloved tale, where a mad scientist played By Willem Dafoe finds a dead woman, and brings her back to life, using the brain of a baby.
Emma Stone plays the creature who is named Bella Baxter, who is learning how to function with an adult body, as she is a baby. As she catches on to the simple functions of a human like walking, forming sentences, and eating, she soon yearns an appetite for sexual needs.
This is where the film starts challenging you, as she becomes a nymphomaniac, and only having the mind of a child not knowing what appropriate behavior is and how that could only invite the worst of people.
This catches the attention Mark Ruffalo’s character who’s like a creepy offbeat version of Marlon Brando, thinking he’s a smooth talker and a lover, takes Bella from her home and tries to make her fall in love with him while being controlling and manipulative.
Though with time and with outside influences, and learning to read, Bella not only learns the meaning of being a human the basic needs and wants to the more complex feelings and issues humans deal with, but also the value of one-self, even if one’s identity or moral compass holds them back in a society that gives an upper hand to a specific group.