2024 is shaping up to be quite the year already, and now another is added to the mix. Yorgos Lanthimos’ Poor Things, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo and Willem Dafoe.
Plot: Bella Baxter is brought back to life by the brilliant and unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter. Under Baxter’s protection, Bella is eager to learn. Hungry for the worldliness she is lacking, Bella runs off with Duncan Wedderburn, a slick and debauched lawyer, on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, Bella grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
23 Comments
Suddenly the Oppenheimer bandwagon has lots of empty seats.
Gilliam’s style begat Jeunet begat Gondry and apparently begat Lanthimos.
Lanthimos has been around for decades. There is no begattin’ to be had. Gondry cannot be touched.
Ok, I was being kind of sarcastic.
It’s kind of interesting as the 60’s/70’s New Wave brats’ influence has receded to see what 80’s/90’s directors are the big influences on today’s filmmakers. When EEAAO won I commented that Wong Kar-Wei’s ethos seems to be all over many recent winners. Gilliam’s footprints are there too.
Yeah, but the WKW in EEAAO is blatant, confessed homage. Not just influence. But I hear you and it’s all a good thing.
of course it was blatant, but it’s fascinating to see WKW moves in movies more than Tarantino ones like we used to.
meets Tim Burton
I struggle to think a single Christopher Nolan film – The Dark Knight aside – that would be in my top 5, even in my top 10 of its year (maybe Tenet and/or The Prestige… maybe Memento). One you understand what Nolan’s formula is – rather than an auteur’s motivation – he becomes a bluff and you can unmask beyond the fireworks, the sauce that tries to hide the void within.
Being a visual virtuoso, doesn’t make you a must-win-an-Oscar filmmaker… I’d pair him with Ridley Scott or David Fincher in that aspect… in no way comparable to John Carpenter, Pedro Almodóvar and many more, I’d add Jordan Peele as well to this true pantheon of actual geniuses that should be the ones being rewarded (Carpenter with an Honorary one, of course)
I think we should bookmark this post, because when the movie comes out, based on this description I think those inclined to grind culture war axes are going to strain muscles grinding them about this film
Looks pretty, but probably not an awards player outside of maybe acting.
Curious to see whether his other film AND comes out this year, I have my doubts.
Design?
I meant “major”, i.e., picture and director.
Looks great. Giving me Edward Scissorhands vibes.
I agree: 2024 certainly promises to be a year with several movies and this trailer is for one of them!
3,000 years of longing, 2023 edition… I am sorry but I have the feeling that this kind of films only get true Oscar love, when coming out from nowhere, and good ol’ Yorgos actually was extremely successful with AMPAS with The Favorite, so this may look self-indulgent and manufactured for Oscar attention from the get go (so strong on technicals). EEAAO swept because it was a true indie that never had awards in mind, it was the underdog.
This film clearly can’t pretend to be an underdog. Just look at how many Wes Anderson movies got the Oscar love (The Grand Budapest Hotel) and how many, since that success… despite Moonrise Kingdom or The French Dispatch being Best Picture-worthy (at least of a nomination).
The AMPAS has been showing us a way for a while now… even when an expensive, handsome film wins, it features:
1) A risky, not-so-baity proposal
2) A likeable ensemble
3) The feeling it is an underdog
4) Some clearly poignant central theme or allegory for some
Even The Shape of Water fits that mold. Does Poor Things fit it? At this point, I’d say some points, yes, but not all by any means.
It doesn’t.
I´d say this isn´t meant for Oscar attention at all. Lanthimos is usually too unconventional to attract Oscar attention, “The Favourite” was an exception because it could be qualified as a historical costume drama (a little quirky one, though) with some powerhouse performances.
Looks like an AI version of Frankenstein !
Looks a bit “weird” for AMPAS taste to get nods in the top categories.
Seems like Taika Waititi’s Next Goal Wins (underdog story with a very diverse cast directed by an acclaimed filmmaker) will be the main Searchlight horse for the upcoming season.
pending on actual reviews, I think NGW is the no-brainer Oscar frontrunner if one analyzes the winners of the last decade, as I said before. If it gets around 80 MC and 90 RT, it’ll be almost a done deal if also grabs SAG Ensemble and GG Comedy. It would be considered a return to form for Waititi – whose only flop has been Thor 4, which I rewatched again yesterday and is FAR from being a bad movie – and the ensemble would do the trick, during Awards season (just don’t focus on Fassbender alone, but give time to the unknown supporting players to be in the spotlight of the campaigning). The underdog story writes itself.
Looking back I think Taika Waititi should have gotten a nod in Best Director for directing Jojo Rabbit, bumping either Tarantino or Phillips out.
I know they awarded him in screenplay but for me Jojo Rabbit is a directorial showcase first and foremost.
the use of the windows at the square as eyes silently judging the horrors and drama taking place there… masterful
Emma Stone needs to reconnect BADLY wit the cinematic mainstream not this obscure- propping up of tokenism PC type gesturing films sh is far too talented to waste here energy aand time on films thaat promote as oscaar do SHAMELESSLY TP WHICH THEY SHOUILD BE ASHAMED of promoting persisting and ELEVATING likes of #me too nd # oscarsowhite and other ‘#’ ‘#’ ‘#’
Poor things cleaarly is a byproduct of something in between these sociakist radical extreme movements – i calling it out and this is why and sure while this is only bout thee Hollywood industry it bout film but it REALLY haas to be asked giiven Oscars are nevertheeless and awards seaosn an INSTITUTION UNTO ITSELF IN REPRESENTING THEE CORE CORNERSTONE OF CULTURAL ASPECT OF OUR SOCIETY? ISNT IT TIME THERE WAS LOT MORE INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL SCRUTINY NOT JUST BY US HERE BUT WITHIN HOLLYWOOD ITSELF OVER THE ATROCIOUS CONDUCT OF THE ACADEMY AS THEY DRIFT FURTHER AAND FURTHEER TO THE PUTRID CULTURE THEY HAVE SO OVEREMBRAACED OF #METOO, #OSCAR SO WHITE? IT ACTUAALLY THESE MOVEM
NTS THAT ARE ACCELERATING THE OBSCURITY OF HAT ampas should stand for AMPAS SHOULD NEVER STAND FOR ACTIVIST POLITICIZED MOVEMENTS WE HAVE WITNESSED AN UTTERLY WASTED LARGELY SAVE FOR HANDFUL 13 YEARS OF OSCAR BEST PIC WINNERS!BUT WE HAVE ARRIVED AT ONE POINT THAT TRULY TERRIFYING INDEED THOSE US TRLY BELIEVE IN STRENGTHENING BUILT ON FOUNDATIONS OF OUR SOCIETAKL INSTITUTIONS IN GENERAL..WHETHEER CULTURAL , LEGAL. EDUCATIONAL, THEY ARE ALL IN MASSIVE DANGER OF COLLAPSING IN THE WOKE “#” GENERATED SOCIETY. THE SPECTRE OF THIS IS REAL!
THIS PROVES MY POINT WHAT U IN AMERICA ARE ALL BEGINNING TO SEE IT ONLY JUST BEGUN IN YOUR COUNTRY IT MORE ADVANCED IN AUSTRALIA SEE FOR YOURSELF:
CONSIDER: GIRL ACCUSES MAN OF RAPE- TRIAL COMMENCES- INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY RIGHT? MANWHILE COURSE WOMEN HAVE RIGHT TO SEEK LAW FOR PROTECTION BUT NOT AT EXPENSE OF INNOCENT TILL PROVEN GUILTY – COURT OF LAW AS AN INSTITUTION ROLE IS TO UPHOLD BALANCED OBJECTIVE FAIR OUTCOMES NOT BIAS OUTCOMES THAT DISTORTED OR DEFINED BY A ONLINE ACTIVIST ‘#’ MOVEMENT BUT BECAUSE SECTIONS OF MEDIA AND SECTION OF SOCIETY INSISTANT ON ELEVATING OVERBLOWN OVER SELF RIGHTTEOUUS IMPORTAANTCAUSES TO POIBNT OF INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS TO CRY WOLF SOUND FALSE ALARM IN THE NAME OF A ELABORATE CONSPIRACY IS WHAT THIS OUTCOME RESULTED IN – WHERE THEE VICTIM COCONSPIRES WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS FOR FUKK SAKE ….IN TURN THE DPP TAKES A PARTISAN VICTIM FAVOURING ATTITUDE IN WAY TRIAL IS CONDUCTED THE DPP IS NOT WHO U MAY THINNK THEIR ROLE IS TO ASSIST IN OBJECTIVE WAY TO PRESENT THE TRIAL AS A WHOL;E NOT TO TAKE SIDES AND DICTATE BIAS DEFINED BY RAMPANT ACTIVISM THAT HAS CORRUPTED THIS TRIAL HOW DO I KNOW? BECAUE AS THIS HEADLINE SUGGESTS TRUST ME THIS DRAGGE DON FOR MONTHS BECAUSE INDEPENDENT CORRU[TION NQUIRY OF OUR NATIONS MOST HIGHEST PROFIKLE COURT CASE IN THIS HIGINS VS. LEHRMANN RAPE ACCUSED TRIAL TOOK PLACE ALLEGEDLY IN HIGH OFFICE OF PARLIAMENT HOUSE… THEE MEDIA AND THE VICTIM BLANKETED COVEERAGE ON OUR NATIONAL BROADCASTER IN ELABORATE DECEITFUL EFFORT TO HAVVE THE PRESENTER OF NATIONS HIGHEST PROFILE COURT CASE IN DECADES IN OUR COUNTRY…TO TAKE THE #ME TO0
O BAIT NOW THE SANCTITY AND OBJECTIVITY OF HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA IS IN JEROPARDY- SORRY FEDERAL COURT..WHERE THIS TRIAL HAS TAKEN PLACE..
BOTH BRITTANY HIGGINS AND MEDIA PRESENTER LISA WILKINSON EXPLOITED THE WOMEN AS VICTIM HYSTERIA CHANNELED THROGH #ME TOO IF I WER AN AMPAS VOTEER OR A GUILD MEMBER I WOULD READ THIS CASE AS CASE STUDY HOW ‘#’ MOVEMENT DRIVEN TWWITTERATI SOCIAIST RAMPAANT ACTIVISM IS DERAILING AND CORRUPTING THE INTEEGRITY OF OSCARS VOTING PROCESSES …
THEREFORE EXPECT DONT AASK ME HOW FOLLOWING FILMS BE FAVOURIOTES BY FAR THIS YTEARS OSCAARS IT BOUT GET WORSE PEOPLE EEWAAO ..IS JUST THE START…
I FEAR HOPE I WRONG EXPECT:
1. beau is afraid
2. poor things
3.rustin
4. the color purple
5. saltburn
6.air
to be thee top 6 contenders leaviing:
oppenheimer
napoleon
killers of flower moon
roosevelt
asteroiid city
..reduced to gap filler fluid in the race and wwhy? see above!
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