Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos is truly one of my favorite directors of all time. We all know his weird yet energetic style in his films and "Poor Things" is Lanthimos at his best! "Poor Things" follows a young woman who runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.

What I wasn't expecting going into this movie was how good the story was going to be. Lanthimos put so much thought into the story making it feel grounded, funny, and a bit sad. This weird combination made for some truly spectacular storytelling.  If I were to describe it in more simple words it would be an NC-17 version of Gerwig's Barbie. On that thought, the extreme nudity and the sex scenes were quite essential to the plot in my opinion. What truly held the plot were the characters and the eccentric yet beautiful world created by Lanthimos. First off, I have to praise how well-written the character arc of Bella is! I absolutely love this eccentric and energetic character who's trying to find her place in this miserable world. Furthermore, I would like to praise how beautifully realized the world seen through the lens of Lanthimos was! Everything from the set designs to the surrealist imagery made for a feast for my eyes! 

Of course, all of this couldn't have been achieved without the help of a powerful cast. Emma Stone delivered a career-best performance and she deserved that Oscar! Honestly, she shocked me to what extent she went with her role and that's the thing I love about Stone! Praise should also go towards Willem Dafoe and Rami Youssef who delivered phenomenal performances but who truly surprised was Mark Ruffalo. This guy outdid himself and gave a career-best performance! "Poor Things" is not only Lanthimos's best work to date but it's the best film of 2023.