POOR THINGS (2023)

December 6, 2023

Greetings again from the darkness. Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is possibly the most divisive director working today. Movie goers tend to either love his films like THE FAVOURITE (2018), THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017), THE LOBSTER (2015), and DOGTOOTH (2009) or walk away baffled that any decent human being could enjoy such dark works of strangeness and oddity. Despite this, two of his films have received Oscar nominations, and this latest may be both his most accessible and most outrageous project yet. It’s also a rare outing where Lanthimos left the writing to others. His co-writer on THE FAVOURITE, Tony McNamara (“The Great”) has adapted the screenplay from the 1992 novel by renowned Scottish writer Alasdair Gray, whose tome was influenced by Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein”.

Oscar winner Emma Stone delivers a truly remarkable (and physically demanding) performance as Bella Baxter. When we first meet Bella, she has the mind and coordination of a toddler in an adult woman’s body … the product of Dr. Godwin Baxter (you can call me God), played by Willem Dafoe. God is a surgeon-slash-mad scientist, his own scarred body the result of experiments conducted by his father. God is both doctor and monster. Although various animal blends (ducks, chickens, dogs, etc) roam the premises, it is Bella who is clearly God’s most treasured production. Her reanimation process and backstory are spelled out in the movie.

Bella develops daily, and when Godwin’s lawyer, Duncan Wedderbum (Mark Ruffalo) shows up to take care of some business, he is intrigued by Bella and offers to take her on an adventure … one that ultimately spans Lisbon to Paris, and a luxury cruise ship to a brothel. Duncan and Bella engage in “furious jumping” (her phrase for sex) and soon her libido is quite advanced, and her river of independence flows freely, turning Duncan into a whiny buffoon. This story, Bella’s story, is really about a woman finding her own way in a world where men try to control/manager her. It’s fascinating to see her hyper curiosity about the world and her surroundings. On top of that, Bella is often quite direct and unfiltered in her statements.

The humor here is frequent and unconventional as evidenced by Bella being described as “a beautiful retard”, and the stream of deadpan one-liners. Still, the message comes across loudly and clearly as we marvel at Bella and Emma Stone’s performance. I hesitate to use the word fearless (unless it’s Tom Cruise) since it’s just acting, but the word applies to Ms. Stone here. Supporting work comes from Christopher Abbott, Margaret Qualley, Ramy Yussef, Jarrod Carmichael, Hannah Schygulla, and Kathryn Hunter, while Mark Ruffalo revels in flashing his comedic chops.

Cinematographer Robbie Ryan interjects black and white for effect and makes good use of the fish-eye lens. Production Designers James Price and Shona Heath get creative with set pieces, especially the cruise ship and brothel, and Costume Designer Holly Waddington nearly steals the spotlight with Bella’s outfits, which are always a bit exaggerated. The music adds a specific element and works quite well, and there is a truly awesome dance scene. Yorgos Lanthimos again earns the title Master of Strangeness with this outlandish film with bits from Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and Young Frankenstein (a common thread). The film is somehow both extremely funny and severely disturbing, and is an example of good people trying to come to grips with the realization that people often do bad things. My only complaint is the film features what are possibly the worst closing credits ever.

Opening in theaters on December 8, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE FAVOURITE (2018)

November 29, 2018

 Greetings again from the darkness. Our biggest fear was that Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos would one day soften the twisted edge he blessed us with in THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER (2017), THE LOBSTER (2015), and DOGTOOTH (2009). That day may yet arrive, but not today and not with his latest. It’s his first time to direct a screenplay he didn’t write, which likely explains this being his most accessible film – though labeling it “mainstream” would be a huge stretch. So brace yourself for an unusual and odd costume period piece unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Co-writers Deborah Davis (her first screenplay) and Tony McNamara (TV background) deliver biting dialogue and treacherous situations, and benefit from three staggeringly terrific lead actress performances. Olivia Colman stars as Queen Anne, Rachel Weisz as Lady Sarah Churchill, and Emma Stone is Abigail. The three combine for one of the strangest and most convoluted love triangles and power struggles in history.

It’s very early 18th century and Britain is at war with France. Queen Anne is frail and in ill health due to severe gout and who knows how many other ailments. Her erratic behavior and quick temper convey childlike behavior from an adult body with a crown. Lady Sarah (Winston’s great-great grandmother, if I’ve calculated correctly) has strategically become the Queen’s trusted political advisor and often governs in her stead, while also sharing moments of intimacy. Sarah pulls no punches and certainly doesn’t subscribe to the ‘kill ‘em with kindness’ approach, and instead frequently insults the Queen to her face. When Sarah’s cousin Abigail appears after her family’s fall from grace (her father lost her in a card game), Sarah takes pity on her due to Sarah’s fondness of Abigail’s father during her childhood.

Abigail’s naivety and kindness soon win over the Queen’s affections. Is her sweetness an act? Is it due to ambition or desperation … is there even a difference here? We soon learn Abigail treats conniving as a profession – she views it as her only path back to respectability, and she’s willing to take on many acts lacking in respectability to charm her way into the inner sanctum. We are plopped into the wicked fun, delicious cat-fighting, strategic backstabbing and crafty political and personal maneuverings … right up until the story turns to vicious bleak darkness in the final act.

It’s fascinating to watch three women hold the power during this era, as the noblemen are relegated to constantly playing catch-up (kind of like the real world) and struggling to figure out the rules of the game. Power struggles abound, as do director Lanthimos stylistic touches. Noblemen played by Nicholas Hoult and Joe Alwyn are frequently dressed in frilly costumes, giant wigs and heavy make-up – quite the contrast to what we typically see in these period pieces. Other Lanthimos touches include royal duck races, pet bunnies representing deceased children, and fisheye lenses used from every conceivable angle.

Ms. Colman and Ms. Weisz were both in THE LOBSTER, and both have a knack for the Lanthimos style, and Ms. Stone surprisingly is also a natural with the twisted, vicious material. Each of the actresses have an extended close-up allowing them to show-off their immense and subtle talent … Ms. Colman’s is especially impactful. Extreme profanity (numerous c-words and f-words) is at times startling and effective, and the music is unique and diverse – as we would expect. As an added bonus, it requires little imagination to connect the dots to our contemporary political state, although that approach would likely stifle one’s enjoyment of the film. Mr. Lanthimos has quickly reached the ‘must-see’ list of directors, with a guarantee that we are going to see something unusual and interesting. It’s one of the year’s best, even if it’s not for everyone.

watch the trailer:

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Posted by David Ferguson