Benutzerrezensionen

I loved this movie from start to finish. Went into it having zero clue what it was about, and only knew Emma Stone was in it. 2 mins in I leaned over to my partner and said "this movie is absolutely bonkers, and I love it!"

What kind of genius is that! All of the acting was on point, the cinematography was A++ the costumes and sets/scenes/CGI, I actually just can't fault it. I laughed so loud, so many times, and I shed a few tears too.

Very poignant, and poetic, with fantastic "morals of the story" I took away a lot, it had beautiful messages of self growth and discovery. Had the good, the bad and the ugly, all mixed into a weird lil soup.

Best movie I have seen in a very long time. Big fan.

I loved everything about this movie. It is an odd little gem which presents the thesis of personal growth as the purpose of existence. The grotesque nature of Bella's "birth", her bull in a China shop sexuality, and her unemotional analysis of every moment, are all examples of a soul finding her way in the world... as are the personal, political, and philosophical struggles of the people she encounters.

The movie says, we have no idea what we are doing and that's okay. It's actually the point. To fulfill our purpose on this Earth we must experience life, warts and all. By embracing both Yin and Yang, we become whole. Every character in the movie either benefits from this realization, or suffers in ignorance.

I am astonished. This film broke many rules but by means of necessity vs. Peacocking. The use of multiple cameras allowed every moment to be unique. I loved the cast and its character arches, especially Emma Stone's performance.

I appreciate the effort to continuity in regards to Costume design. It gave me heart palpitations and was true to Emma's character arch.

My only critique is that they could have slightly shaved off a bit of time in one sequence in Paris but overall Poor Things is the epitome of perfect movie.

If you enjoyed the wit of Cruella then you'd appreciate this. It was eloquent yet modern and true.

This isn't an easy film to watch and capture everything it tries to convey, on the contrary, it's quite complex.

I'm not a deep connoisseur of Freud, on the contrary, I studied some of his texts when I went to journalism school, but I remember very little, I'm actually unfamiliar with the subject, but clearly "Poor Things" seems to me to work with some points of psychosexual development human developed by Freud.

I may be talking nonsense, but it seems to me that the sexual phases of children described by Freud (oral, anal, genital, etc.) are shown in Bella's development during the projection, as well as her total independence and freedom in relation to the world and in the passage of each of those phases, without being repressed, allowing her to reach the superego.

While working with complex concepts of the development of the human psyche, the film also flirts wonderfully with the frustrations of love, and social, political and human issues, and I honestly couldn't capture everything the work was offering me, a lot of details must have escaped my attention.

So much content, so much complexity, inserted in a spectacular, wonderful cinematography, with exuberant sets, elaborated down to the smallest details, with perfect use of vivid colors and black and white, actors shining on the screen, all of them without exception, incredible direction, and a soundtrack very strange that fits like a glove.

I rate it 8 out of 10 because my ignorance really didn't allow me to capture everything that was being offered to me, and at some moments I felt a little tired from demanding so much of my brain, but it's a great film in all aspects. It's just not for everyone, as it's not what you would call popcorn entertainment cinema, on the contrary, it's the opposite, and perhaps the trailer could mislead certain types of audiences.

I'm a fan of Lanthimos but this film was ironically the "poorest" of his among those i've watched. I thought of the idea and the style to be very interesting from the trailers and inevitably i was very excited to see this film in the theater after a long wait (thanks to the great marketing efforts). Yet, i was very disappointed to find myself disliking it throughout the viewing.

I don't have much to say about the production design and cinematography other than I found those parts of the film mesmerizing and unique, as expected. What I didn't expect was the writing and storytelling to be so cheap and at some points annoying. I understand that there is an intent to create wittiness and absurdness to give a light tone to the movie but it really felt forced and predictable to me most of the time. Honestly, i didn't laugh more than 2 or 3 scenes in the movie and they weren't even that memorable.

I also found Bella's character development rushed and out of nowhere at the ending bits of the film. I really don't want to get into the other characters because non of them i found to be interesting nor well written sadly. Also, the topics this film takes on and the themes it tries to delve into were stayed on the surface in my opinion. About what it is like to become an adult from a child's perspective, about choices of women and how they are treated in the society, about the poor and the rich, about being a human in the modern world, and many more.

Moreover, I would've loved delving deeper into the sensitive sides of Bella and her connection with her mother. Maybe we could've seen some parts of what ignited and caused her mother's suicide rather than seeing a maniac ex-husband holding a gun all the time and then we say "Aha! It makes sense now about her mother jumping from the bridge". Maybe it could've been a cliche but i think i would've rather seeing Bella to realize who she was at the end of the movie rather than in the beginning, just for the sake of witnessing her realization and reaction when she grew up as her surgery would be kept as a secret from her would be more emotional in my opinion.

Sorry for this long review but there were many thoughts i wanted to let it out. Maybe among the points i made, some were a glimpse of positive things, but sadly and mostly it was more about the poor things...

Poor Things simply just wasn't for me. I really don't like to say I hate a movie... so we'll just go with "it wasn't for me". I did appreciate the production design and performances, but a lot of the cinematography and writing/directing choices just didn't work for me. Just a little too weird for my tastes. And felt way too long. I wanted to like it so bad, and was so disappointed to find myself disliking it so much.

I know it's been getting good reviews from most people - I'm in the minority here! So if you're interested, definitely check it out! I'm a huge supporter of going to see a film if you are interested in it and deciding for yourself how you feel!

Clearly a lot of people enjoyed this grotesque movie, but it wasn't for me. Some of the scenes in it made me feel sick, and maybe they were supposed to, but it seemed unnecessary. Don't even get me started on how pretentious the movie was.

I also found this movie very frustrating because the acting was good, the sets and costuming were good, and some scenes used striking cinematography. These things all made me feel like I should've liked the movie, but I don't. It could have been put to much better use.

The sex and nudity is beyond gratuitous. I'm usually not bothered by sex scenes in movies, but for this particular film it felt perverted. Maybe the director has a weird fetish.

Ultimately, this film made me want to crack my own head open and pour bleach over my brain. It's one of those movies I'd like to block out. I don't think I'll ever watch anything else by Lanthimos.

(For the latter, you have to be about 60+, I think. For the younger ones: Emanuele was an erotique franchise in the 1970's, with about 20 moviers, or so.)

The four are an unlikely combination, but brilliantly put together. Me being a bit older (60+ 😉, thus knowing Emanuelle), I am getting a bit tired of the standard Holywood prequels/sequels/spinoffs/..., Let's say, the obvious block busters. This is something completely new and refreshing.

I wont reveal anything, other than it's a surreal story. I have rated it 10 stars on IMBDB, which makes it my 11th "ten" in over 6.000 movies I've rated.....

The acting, camerawork, story, sound (what was that?) ...

Go for it, if you're open minded for something different than the usual Holywood blockbuster!

Where to begin with this one....

First off, the performances presented here are top of their class. Absolutely phenomenal! In a film with characters as strange as these, you need a strong cast and every player here was up to the task and more! Just brilliant!

Secondly, the story is insane. I mean padded room, straight jacket type of insane. When reading the synopsis, I was thinking about how wild of a concept it was and did not think they could pull off such an audacious plot. However, Yorgos and company had a specific vision for this film and it shows in the amount of detail in both the screenplay and the visionary artistic decisions. I can say, they completely nailed it!

Thirdly, exploring the human condition through sexuality, in all emotional forms, has been done before. Though, never quite like this. It was refreshing to see it through the eyes of someone reborn and ready for everything life had to throw her, as opposed to the usual timid youthful eyes.

Lastly, the cinematography is wonderfully done. Mixing between black and white to full color, with wild scenery and beautifully detailed architecture. Sometimes the film felt like a dream captured within a painting. It was quite beautiful.

Overall, I would highly recommend it. I don't think it will be everyone's cup of tea. It is very artsy, very sexually uncomfortable, and very strange. However, if you enjoy great storytelling and truly original visions on film, better see this on the big screen.

4.5 surgerys out of 5.

Poor things is directed by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer) and is supported with a strong cast, namely Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.

The first impression you get from this movie is bizarre to say the least. In fact, it takes some time to get used to the ambiance which is nothing short of macabre. And surely, this impression lasts throughout the whole movie; but this feeling of weirdness and incomprehension serves the plot and in this sense, is most welcome. Eventually, there comes a time where, inevitably, and without even realizing it, you are suctioned right in, never to escape again. And you are glad to be trapped in what is essentially pit of limitless pleasure.

Indeed, one of the things the movie does very well is make you, along with the protagonist, embark on an adventure. Sure, you might have been to the places the protagonist went to, but those are presented in a most wonderful way. The aesthetics are magnificient and otherworldly. I do not know how they did it, but I remember being in awe and it is a feeling that I will cherish for a lifetime. It is truly a sight to behold.

It is the kind of movie which makes you feel grateful to be alive.

So I'm sure that people might be judging people who are giving this movie low scores for being prudes, or those who are predisposed to under appreciate artistic movies. This is absolutely not true. I adore strange and artistic films, but this one just seem gratuitously repulsive. I really like something with more of a plot or profound plots and a movie that does not rely solely on nudity or sex, or the abuse of the female body. It was very difficult to watch the scenes. The only reason I graciously gave this movie or four was because Mark Ruffalo. He was absolutely fantastic in this movie, but beyond that, I really didn't see any stand out actors. Emma always does a good job. It won awards for being original, because what other movie would actually be like this? None. What other movies would have constant nonstop sex and nudity? None. I guess people are hungry for this vacuous type of plot, but I just personally did not like it as a woman. Yes, the cinematography was great, yes, the acting by the main characters was amazing. But that's where it ends. I am still, however, trying to trudge to the end of it. We need more movies like this move these like pans labyrinth that are aesthetically, beautiful and where the plot is very different or even oriented around science, fiction or fantasy, but this one fell short. The movie did get better near the end, so I upped the score to 6.

Winner of the Golden Lion at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and with around eleven nominations for the 2024 Oscars, Poor Creatures is a surrealist romance, with an M/16 rating, based on the literary work by Alasdair Gray that presents the life of Bella Baxter and her journey for knowledge and a fair, equal and free life in a secretive world oppressed by the moral norms of a society that hides in a veil of uncertainty.

Beginning in black and white, the viewer is introduced to the routine of scientist and anatomy professor Godwin Baxter (played by Willem Dafoe), a brilliant and peculiar scientist who "plays" with nature and, through logic and science, assembles and disassembles creatures, filling his house with four-legged ducks and pig-headed chickens. Tormented by his father (who was also a scientist and the founder of the university where he teaches), Godwin (nicknamed "God" by those closest to him, making a joke in English with the figure of "God") represents the dehumanisation of the Human Being through Science, where all the answers to the Human Body must be answered with crude, graphic and inhuman experiments (which fits in with the film's narrative, as it possibly takes place at the end of the 19th century). Godwin Baxter lives with his maid, Mrs Prim (played by Vicki Pepperdine) - who is the typical stereotype of a grumpy Victorian maid who obeys blindly - and with the slender Bella Baxter (played by Emma Stone), a young adult who is initially treated as having cognitive disabilities and behaves like a child. For Bella, Godwin is the centre of the world (hence the pun on Bella's term "God"), but he is the same one who prevents her from seeing the world and oppresses her thirsty desire for exploration, behaving like the over-protective "oppressive father" often depicted in classic literature. After the viewer learns more about Bella's supposed past, we are introduced to Max McCandles (played by Ramy Youssef), Godwin's only student who doesn't judge him by his appearance and who gains his trust. Godwin invites Max to be his assistant and, later, to help him catalogue the evolution of Bella's behaviour. As time goes by, Bella develops a more refined intellect and a mutual affection for Max that leads to a marriage proposal and the creation of a document that further oppresses Bella's freedom, leading her to run away with a bohemian gallant called Duncan Wedderburn (played by Mark Ruffalo).

Separated into six parts, the narrative focuses on Bella's psychological growth and the way she begins to interpret the society around her, without moral filters and "pure" in a toxic society. Bella's life becomes a projection of the constant struggle for freedom and women's rights in a patriarchal world. From the discovery of carnal pleasure to the impact of the cruelty of social differences, Bella ends up travelling the world accompanied by Duncan, who initially just wants to live a life of luxury with Bella, abusing her innocence and lack of morals. From London they move on to Lisbon, where Pastel de Nata and Fado conquer Bella's heart (now in a world of colour), a cruise on the Mediterranean where philosophical questions about the meaning of life are challenged and finally Paris, where the political ideals of Socialism reach Bella's mind (and free herself from Duncan).

There are some surprising revelations in the course of the film that can't be revealed, as well as moments that take the viewer's breath away. The "horny" scenes (excessive in my opinion) represent Bella's indomitable and free spirit and the strong and important feminist message the film carries is remarkable. With sets straight out of fantasy books (Lisbon being the most superb) and curious costumes, Poor Creatures could be considered a lot of things, but it's definitely a sensational film. The choice of camera shots and the evolution from black and white to colour bring the film to life and we must highlight the performance of the incredible Carminho, an amazing Portuguese fado singer, who gives her voice to a remarkable moment. I therefore conclude this review with a rating of 9.5/10.

1) The misandry is strong in this one. Not surprising though, seems that this is the Holywood way from now on : Every man is dumb or pathetic or disgusting or criminal or childish. Condemning toxic masculinity is one thing. Condemning masculinity in its entirety, is another.

2) Seems also that in order to achieve Enlightment, you have to be a sex worker. It's so obvious i wonder why noone thought about this in the entire Human History. I guess Lanthimos is a pioneer. A Marco Polo of Wisdom. It made me so uncomfortable watching Stone's character dealing with this disgusting debauchery (I mean the "Paris" segment). But i guess it's a sign of toxic masculinity if you don't like watching a woman get humiliated. Lanthimos is beloved in Holywood because obviously he preaches Women empowerment. I didn't know that Humiliation/Depression = Empowerment. Happy to find out.

3) Sarcasm aside, this could ve a very good movie. I am a man but i would gladly watch a movie showing a woman's path to Self Actualization. Until the PARIS segment, i thought that this movie is something like that. And i was enjoying it. A very good dark fairy tale/comedy drama fantasy. Not just funny but even hilarious at times. German Expressionism meets Terry Gilliam or something like that. A visually stunning movie with GREAT acting. Stone was magnificent but the other actors were amazing too (Dafoe, Ruffalo, Carmichael etc). Not a brilliant movie but a clever one. I wish that Jerrod Carmichael had more screen time, his character was very interesting. But i don't wanna nitpick it, it was a good movie overall. Even with the misandry element.

However, the PARIS segment ruined this movie. Literally, one of the most unnecessary parts of all time. Meaningless, empty, vulgar. Even misogynistic i'd say.

And, of course, the ending. A ridiculously simplistic and naive ending for all brain dead people to enjoy.

This is a very unusual movie. I enjoyed watching it, even though it felt awkward at times (as promised by the creators and many reviewers). In my opinion, many users who gave it a 1/10, missed the point. For sure, it is a movie for very mature and sophisticated audiences. It contains a lot of ugly truths about the world, so don't watch it if those bother you. (Don't watch it with teenagers, either, wait until they are 20 or 21.) I appreciated the creative direction, cinematography, and Emma Stone's acting talent. The plot covers multiple aspects of privilege and abuse in thought-provoking ways. On a very high level, you could say that it has some similarities to Barbie, but a very different approach. It is almost the anti-Barbie. The contrast between these two 2023 movies is definitely worth a class discussion in some graduate course of film criticism.

I'd love to rate this one a lot higher since it's a visual masterpiece but it pushed me out of my comfort zone of an enjoyable film experience. The use of color, lighting, and unique camera angles made this mesmerizing to see and I was hooked the entire time. Going from black and white to color during Bella's new journey to experience the world was fascinating to watch. The acting in this one is top-notch with Emma Stone doing an amazing job of transitioning from a toddler-like mentality to a sophisticated woman. It's still tough to give this a good score because her experience with men with a childlike brain is borderline appalling to take in. Maybe that was the point the entire time but it's hard to balance a beautifully shot movie with a disturbing concept. 3.5/5 stars.

While I am loathe to criticise a fairly original story and something quite different from the norm, this film was definitely not for me. I'm a big fan of Stone, Ruffalo and Defoe so it pains me even more to be negative but I did not like this at all and feel tricked by the high review scores, to the point where I feel the need to leave a low score to balance it out a bit.

I was left thinking suddenly I no longer understand film for this to have scored so high.

I'm not sure why this is deemed a comedy, it is much more a horror in the conventional sense. Frequently grotesque and music designed to make you want to hit the mute button. I tried to like the style and cinematography but I just found the whole story so unpleasant as to be completely distracting.

The one thing I did find funny was the first frame saying 'CONTAINS TOBACCO REFERENCES', which is then proceeded by the opening shot of a suicide. What a bizarre world we are living in.

Wow! What a show! "Poor Thing" isn't just a movie; it's a masterclass in performance. Emma Stone's portrayal is simply mesmerizing; she effortlessly steals the spotlight from everyone else. In fact, I'd go as far as saying this is the best film I've seen in the last ten years. The way each character was brought to life felt so genuine, so real. It wasn't just acting; it was living and breathing those roles. Emma Stone's talent shines brightly, elevating the entire experience to another level. If you're looking for a movie that will leave you in awe, "Poor Thing" is the one to watch. It's a captivating journey filled with emotion, depth, and incredible performances. Trust me; you don't want to miss out on this cinematic gem!

This movie touches the very depths of your soul. Such marvelous portrait of human relationships and bonds which we made during our short lives.

Emma Sone is perfect for her character, as she portrays the Woman of all ages, her journey from child to mature and full of wisdom.

William Defoe is stunning too. Dark obsessive but underneath warm and loving character.

I think that understanding the movie is not for everyone cause some might get offended as the movie peels off layer by layer of our darkest desires.

All of the 10 God sins are entangled in this masterpiece.

I think at least three Oscars are understatement for the masterpiece this movie is.