Poor Things

In the organizer's words:

In Victorian England, a young pregnant woman throws herself into the Thames. Her corpse falls into the hands of scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter, who tries his hand at a macabre experiment. He transplants the brain of her baby, which he delivered after her death, into the dead Victoria. Bella Baxter thus comes to life - mentally an infant, outwardly endowed with the body of a young woman. Under the supervision of Dr. Godwin Baxter, whom she affectionately calls God, Bella has her first experiences in the world. Later, she embarks on a wild journey across the continents with the lawyer Duncan Wedderburn and the need for life, lust, freedom and social justice grows within her. The more Bella gets to know her passions, the further she distances herself from imposed constraints and prejudices.

Yorgos Lanthimos' strictly composed and more inaccessible first films (Dogtooth, 2009; The Lobster, 2015) attracted the attention of critics, but they were too unusual for a mainstream theatrical release. His eccentric works were welcome on the screen at Kommunalkino Bremen, as their innovative style challenges our viewing habits. His latest film is a Hollywood production: "Poor Things" was nominated and awarded several times in 2024, including at the Oscars for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Emma Stone won the Oscar in the "Best Actress in a Leading Role" category.

In terms of content, Poor Things therefore remains a film of missed opportunities in many respects. The positive approach to sex and Bella as a female character who rebels against gender roles and oppression in an unconventional way have great potential. However, the only inconsistent focus on female experiences and the vague to problematic depiction of consensus partially cancel this out. Even beyond feminist themes, the film touches on many aspects that it then fails to follow through on consistently, for example Bella's various political and philosophical interests such as socialism and poverty alleviation, which the film addresses so little that it begs the question of why it introduces them at all.

For fans of the phenomenal Emma Stone and colorful, imaginative cinematic experiences with opulent costumes and sets, Poor Things is certainly worth seeing nonetheless. From a feminist point of view, however, Lanthimos' latest work remains a double-edged sword. (Charlie Hain, Three thoughts on POOR THINGS, www.filmloewin.de)