Poor Things

The Black Oil

Well now, that's how you do a teaser.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrvKokuyBEA

Fysh

That is a great teaser. Lanthimos is on my my automatic-watch list, but even if he wasn't that teaser would have me on-board anyway.

Looks like it releases on September 8th.

pixelburp

Sometimes you can only respond with a confused but intrigued, "huh?".

So.

Huh?

pixelburp

I graduate my "huh?" to a "b'wah?"

https://youtu.be/RlbR5N6veqw

Fysh

Somehow we don't yet have a thread about this that I can find, so as it has now been released I thought we should have one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFu7ZH4y6J4

I got to see this today and thought it was excellent. The cast all put in great performances, with a special nod to Mark Ruffalo. Visually the thing is a feast, frequently reminding me of Michel Gondry's more more fanastical films. It's also very funny, frequently in very clever (and sometimes disquieting) ways. While the story is quite clearly delineated into chapters (generally associated with a change in location, each identified by a surreal yet sumptuous intertitle shot), there is an overall narrative that is quite satisfyingly told.

As with The Favourite I think this is another case where we're not even halfway through January and I already know what one of my favourite films of the year is going to be.

JP Liz V1

It's kinda like Tim Burton and Wes Anderson and Terry Gilliam came together for a take on Frankinstein

johnny_ultimate

It’s a film I admired in some many ways, that ultimately I wished I liked it a little more than I did. I did like it for sure, especially in its opening half where the sheer vibrancy and energy of is impossible to deny. It’s one of the better examples of cinematic comedic surrealism I’ve seen, with its bizarre animal hybrids, abstract cloudscapes and countless novel little & large art design flourishes. Everyone’s on the film’s wavelength, especially Stone and Ruffalo who go admirably big.

But it’s a long film, and it didn’t quite have enough petrol in the tank to keep the pace for me. I think the underlying ‘liberation through sex and discovery’ story - while endearingly candid and often very funny - just starts repeating itself a little too often, and it feels like a film making the same points again and again. It never loses that sense of cinematic splendour, and there are plenty of great moments within, but over the course of the film I went from ‘this is unquestionably one of the best films I’ve seen in a while’ to ‘it’s pretty good!’ A lot worse things to be than pretty good, though. I will continue to look forward to a new Lanthimos film, even if nothing is likely to ever beat that ‘what the **** is this?’ surprise of seeing Dogtooth at a film festival. Between this and The Curse, though, all the kudos to Emma Stone for using her star power to embrace the weird.

Man Vs ManUre

It’s very weird but very brilliant. Having seen both this and KOTFM, I think Emma Stone will be winning that best actress Oscar. And Ruffalo beats De Niro for supporting actor.

gmisk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121626901#Comment_121626901

Gladstone is still favourite for lead actress and clear favourite in the betting odds for supporting actor is Robert Downey Jr. But we will see.

I am going to head to it this weekend.

Man Vs ManUre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121631486#Comment_121631486

Oh yeah I forgot about Oppenheimer, haven’t seen it but it seems RDJ has that in the bag, probably just because of his name as much as anything. Ruffalo is superb in this, an absolute comedy hoot from the moment he appears. ES then, it’s one of the best female performances I have seen. I liked KOTFM but it kind of just plods along at the same level throughout, and I didn’t think LG had that big a role in it. It’s very good, as is she, DiCaprio and DeNiro, but it’s not on the level of there will be blood. Poor Things on the other hand is very unique, it’s sort of like a mix up of Forest Gump, Edward Scissorhands and the lobster all rolled into one.

Man Vs ManUre

Poor Things is an easy film to watch, once you get over the weirdness of it in the first 15mins it’s just bonkers entertainment all the way, with a soft and tinder heart to the film. Flower Moon on the other hand is complex with so much going on beneath the surface, multiple characters to keep aware of, and lots of people will find it boring. It’s a bit like the assassination of Jesse James.

Man Vs ManUre

Can’t believe Ruffalo didn’t get a BAFTA nom and Ken from Barbie did.

El Duda

Poor Things – 10/10

I didn’t know that we needed a horny Frankenstein remake, but Yorgos Lanthimos sure did. 

Emma Stone won’t win the Oscar for her performance as Bella Baxter, but she should. I have no doubts in my mind that Bella Baxter will be remembered in decades to come alongside the very best female cinema icons. 

Mark Ruffalo puts in his best performance for years. I had a suspicion that perhaps there it something quite yucky lingering below the surface of the Ruffalo character, but after doing some reading it appears not to be the case.  

There’s so much to talk about with this but I think people should just go and see it knowing very little. To all the people that moan about the endless conveyor belt of remakes, reboots and comic movies… this is your antidote. The whole thing is bare uncotched.

JP Liz V1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121635567#Comment_121635567

Both got Oscar nominations

Man Vs ManUre

Emma Stone is slight favorite for Oscar now in a very close 2 horse race with LG.

orangerhyme

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121654918#Comment_121654918

Is it worth going to the cinema for?

El Duda

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121661642#Comment_121661642

Hell yes

Mav11

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121664342#Comment_121664342

Double hell yes.

Went to see it this evening. If you like surreal weirdness then you can't miss it. All the cast were brilliant,

Thelonious Monk

Saw this in the Lighthouse on Friday. Best film I've seen in ages. Emma S is just brilliant. It dragged a bit before the last 20 mins or so that was my only critique.

It's a real shame Emma won't win the Oscar this year she deserves it. KOTFM actress was great too and I guess they will give it to her as she's native American, this being the Oscars and all, she was brilliant too.

gmisk

Well that was an experience! Hard to categorise and pigeon hole it really, one that definitely needs to be seen on the big screen. Acting is terrific throughout and it looks just spectacular.

Terrier2023

Furious jumping my new favourite word for bonking !!

Terrier2023

There was a very dark message in this film anyone notice what it was, i think it was trying to convey that children like having s3x and its ok and to be honest that seems to be a message the world is keen to get out there, bit sick to be honest like most things from Hollywood.

~Rebel~

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121828218#Comment_121828218

Think you're taking quite a leap there... the point of her character is that she's learning and growing at a hugely accelerated rate - when we first see her, she's a baby, then a toddler, then a child, then a teen, then an adventurous young woman, then a more conscientious older woman, and finally the fully developed matriarch... all experienced at such a rate as to develop herself naturally without being too forced and imprinted upon by societal constructs.

The point at which she discovers sexual activity is more like teen, and the sex itself is more like late-teen early 20s, when she's leaving home to go out independently into the world (the way people do between ~18 and 21)

Not too sure about the 'Hollywood' connection either... Irish produced, Greek written and directed, based on a Scottish story, shot primarily in Budapest.

Terrier2023

ok maybe you are correct but the idea of a baby brain being in a full grown woman is a bit disturbing from the onset, but i accept your comment thanks. i did like the progression in the film and it was well acted but still i felt there was a small disturbing aspect there. I may be wrong too but i still had a gut feeling....

Shelga

I just watched it. Big “meh” from me. I don’t usually feel very moved by absurdist weird arthousey type films, and this was no exception. Production design does not a masterpiece make. It wasn’t terrible by any means, just not for me. It’s all so self-consciously cool and “out there”. Just again… meh.

Edited to add: Also, every second shot being done on a fisheye lens drove me **** bananas. Just use a normal camera shot FFS.

thegame983

Thought it was excellent.

Mark Ruffalo was hilarious.

I was not prepared for the amount of sex.

Man Vs ManUre

After watching Oppenheimer recently I cannot understand why RDJ will win the Oscar ahead of Ruffalo. Ruffalo was an absolute hoot in this and was equal to ES in every scene.

AMKC

So I watched this last night and thus morning on my phone. Fell asleep watching it. What a very strange, odd and weird film. So what this is the 18 Century or something and he can do brain transplants lol in a not very clean area either. So glad I did not waste money to see this in the Cinema as I would have got up and walked out. The ending was just terrible. I can think of at least three different ways it could have been better.

Such an overrated film

Man Vs ManUre

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121870311#Comment_121870311

It’s on Disney now so u can watch it free there!! I thought it was great, if you could get over the weirdness of it all in the first 15mins then just sit back and enjoy. The acting was brilliant and very unique and original film. Very funny in many parts, but tragic and sweet loving at the same time.

Imagine watching a film on your phone ffs. Society is finished.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121870444#Comment_121870444

It's OK. I watched it from a streaming site on my phone.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121870516#Comment_121870516

I know terrible isn't it. I remember when I seen by brother watching all these things on his phone and said I would be ever do that but some of us are not lucky enough to have a Cinema close by and going to one takes a couple of hours both ways. I go to the Cinema for films like Dune, Star Trek, Star Wars etc and other blockbusters not some film that could have been made for TV that's in black and white ffs.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121871168#Comment_121871168

Better off not watching it. A phone is for phone calls

Fysh

Regardless of where you found the stream, if you watched this on a 5" phone screen you were doing yourself out of some of the things it does well, the visuals were great as seen on an actual cinema screen.

The story not being for you is down to personal taste, but I don't think most films are on their best footing when watched on a screen that small.

pixelburp

Whatever about the plot or one's taste for the story, the idea a movie this obviously visually inventive, or any movie really, would or should be watched on a smart phone is absurd.

It's like saying you prefer to listen to music through... I dunno, airline ear buds; or reading a book written in crayon.

_H80_GHT

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121871206#Comment_121871206

You must be old to list the thing that people use them for least these days.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121871206#Comment_121871206

Lol. I used to think like that. A phone these days do is a pocket computer. You can do anything on it.

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121871746#Comment_121871746

Still glad I did not see it in the Cinema. The only sex scenes I want to see are ones that I am involved in lol.

StevenToast

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121872710#Comment_121872710

So none then!

AMKC

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121872738#Comment_121872738

None for now but I will in the future all going well 😉

pixelburp

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121872710#Comment_121872710

You hated the movie cos it had sex? Uh, ok. If you're not Gen Z that's an even more baffling bit of prudishness.

FrancieBrady

Interestingly made film but strangely unengaging. Much too long as well. You should want to watch a visually brilliant film like this is again but I'd be hard pressed to press play tbh.

I'd argue too that Sandra Hüller in Anatomy of A Fall was more deserving of the gong than Stone. Haven't seen the other performances. A role with no boundaries or restraints (she could basically do anything and you had to go with it) in terms of making actions believable is easy work for any actor.

buried

Yeah I got tired of this too, well around the one hour thirty mark. The visual style of this is very reminiscent of the Indigo Prime comic book series from the late 80's/early 90's that was published in the British comic 2000AD. Both historically set, yet stylishly futuristic, incorporating elements of sci fi. There was one collection set in the Victorian era about the Jack the Ripper that was very visually reminiscent of this. Also a lot of visual shades of Alan Moore's 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' work in this too.

El Duda

If you watched Poor Things on your phone, or any film for that matter, you did not see it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqAsKyyS-LA&ab_channel=nicky

dulpit

Saw this (in the cinema for the snobs here) and really disliked it. The acting was obviously great, but the story did nothing for me and I just didn't see the point. It struck me as as movie that "film buffs" will love, but normies not so much.

I saw Lisa Frankenstein the other day and I enjoyed that way way way more than Poor Things.

micks_address

watched on Disney plus over the weekend.. its visually distinct.. quite funny and an interesting plot. An incredible amount revolves around sex which is fine.. but there might have been more interesting experiences to explore as Bella's brain caught up with her body..

bodhrandude

Loved this, visually beautiful, quirky and funny too.

gym_imposter

Watched this last night, excellent, so quirky and funny and inherently strange in a wonderful way

Kind of movie you don't need to see twice though

SCOOP 64

Certainly wouldn't watch again surprised me and my wife finished it, did watch half one night went back to it next night thinking maybe it gets better,it didn't.

brianc27

Watched tonight, thought it was pretty good, probably a bit too long, didn't know a whole lot about it before watching, visually it was like a cross between Wes Anderson and Terry Gilliam

gym_imposter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121915067#Comment_121915067

It is too long,great description btw

Tar.Aldarion

Great kind of theme/sets, lots of nice decisions there but I didn't really enjoy the film at all. You get what it's going to say immediately but there is two more hours of it. My girlfriend watched half of it and I wish I had too.