rating: 7.25/10
i expected this movie to be an absurdist character study about existentialism, which i suppose it is, but not in the manner that it was handled. for one, i did not expect sexuality to be such a central part of the narrative. poor things is a gothic comedy, that much i can gather. but to grasp the deeper meaning of it, i'll have to see video essays and breakdowns. let's get into what i loved about this movie—the cinematography is one of its kind. the odd fish lens shots which looked like peering into a fishbowl, the colors, the set design, the vintage camera work; brilliantly done. this was my first time seeing such an approach in a movie. it has a very specific look to it. the score with the melancholic violin will live in my head rent-free for a long time. it's iconic. and the performances—emma stone's oscar win was completely deserved. bella's speech, mannerisms, the smooth way they evolve throughout the course of the movie: it was all masterfully portrayed by mrs. stone. that brings me to mark ruffalo. at first i was immensely thrown off by an american actor putting on a british accent but ruffalo manages to have the best lines in the movie. his comedic timing is hilarious and he delivers the funniest dialogues of the movie, which made me laugh out loud multiple times. willem dafoe was also eccentric as well, as is his brand, so no surprises there. harry astley was an unbothered king, martha was a g, and bella's socialist gf (can't remember her name) was nice too. it was a terribly confusing experience, most of my thoughts were of horrified and morbid fascination, but i can't say it was a bad movie. i just don't possess the brain capacity or media literacy to process this properly. so yeah, that's the review.
