Poor Things Is Not Good! Book and Movie Comparison
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- čas přidán 9. 06. 2024
- I read and watched Poor Things and I have been left shook. Poor Things the book was weird, I didn't expect Poor Things The Movie could be weirder but boy was I wrong.
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Watch @WhytheBookWins review of Poor Things: • Poor Things Book vs Movie
Intro: 00:00
About the author: 00:30
About the book: 01:25
About the movie: 10:07
Which is better: 19:03
Articles mentioned:
www.theguardian.com/film/2023...
datebook.sfchronicle.com/movi...
www.nytimes.com/1993/03/28/bo...
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What are your thoughts on Poor Things?
Too much gratuitous sex obviously for the male lens/gaze, participating in the same exploitation they claim to subvert, total denial of woman's emotional experience and vulnerability (SA/sex work), glorification of love between a girl with infant brain and a grown man (Max and her marriage)...need I go on it's faux feminist and horrifying... :(
Thank you… Liked Emma Stone, couldn’t stand the script..
According to the script every prostitute should be a philosophical scholar…
That your biased and don’t get the film
@@tbrown5836 That doesn't answer my question but thanks for watching😁
Can you explain to me how can anyone discover sex properly? Not through spontaneous self discovery, not taught by a parent, then how?
My first thought after watching this movie was "how sad, not even suicide guarantees women autonomy over their own bodies" Agreed with everything you said!!
That is too real!
YES!! And that could have been SUCH A POWERFUL note to touch on in the film too! But it just feels like it was missing something throughout.
YES. Something that I haven’t heard out of a lot of people who like the movie is the very strange, “pro-life” undertones of the story. Like, we have this film where a woman’s body is desecrated and forced to give life to an unborn fetus, but people claim this to be a feminist film?
If the film completely disregards Bella’s letter at the end of the novel basically discrediting all of Candle’s ridiculous takes, then it is truly a misogynistic film bc it doesn’t take the woman’s version into account at all.
Also, just replace Emma stone with a 12/13 year old girl in all the scenes and see if you still find it hilarious and liberating lmfao
Did you read the note in the book after Bella's letter that leads one to question her version of events?
How many 12/13 year old girls are reading Emerson and having philosophical discussions and going to medical classes/studying for medical exams? Her brain's growth is exponential and she's a lot more "advanced" than you are giving her credit for.
@@trustedsingle19021. You are underestimating women.
2. You are just replicating what predators typically say. "She is a lot more advanced than you are giving her credit for", feels exactly like "she is so mature for her age"
I'm so happy I stumbled upon your review. If it wasn't for you and some Letterboxd reviews I would've thought I was going insane. I predicted the brothel section as soon as they landed in Paris with no money because the only thing Bella had been remotely interested in experiencing at this point in her life was sex, so it didn't bother me as much even though I thought it was a huge missed opportunity to show her sex bubble being burst. BUT THE CHILDREN SCENE ???? I won't lie I thought about walking away at this point.
Bella is experiencing life for the very first time and 80% of it is dedicated to sex. No more than 10 minutes are dedicated to human suffering and it's glossed over so fast before being followed by sex again. Same goes with Bella wanting to be a doctor, she says one line about it, has one scene in a laboratory, and that's it. And it's not even just the sex scenes, most dialogues start with the topic of sex. Even the stuff she does as a toddler at the very start of the movie like touching that dead man's privates, am I supposed to laugh? If she's supposed to be a baby-brained female adult, that's not how babies and toddlers act.
And the sex scenes are not necessarily the issue, even though the sheer number of them is simply unnecessary, redundant and boring, they are clearly intended for a male audience, which isn't surprising considering the team behind it. They are violent, wild, repetitive, fast-paced, with no words uttered. Seeing all the good reviews, nominations and accolades I thought "Are we not past this ?". But apparently not, because this movie is the best representation I've seen of the male gaze.
Confused and disappointed is exactly how I left the theater as well. The costumes and cinematography (and the acting of course) are the only things that really stuck with me even though I thought the world-building could've been better and explored a bit more as a fan of monster movies.
I won't debate whether the sex was gratuitous because that is a matter of personal taste and no graphic sex scene is ever truly "necessary" for any plot. I also agree that the sex scenes were clearly designed for titillation, but films exist to entertain as well as to enlighten.
What you have to understand is that Bella grew up in a deeply repressed society, with no female figure in her life to teach her about sex, for better or worse. Sex and her own sexual organs are unknown to Bella until she discovers them herself. This revelation comes completely free of any concerns relating to health risks, personal safety, societal ramifications, ideas of romance or saving oneself for marriage. Remove all those strings from the female sexual experience and yes, there would be a lot of nymphomania. This type of behaviour is not uncommon among many neurodivergent and mentally disabled people, though this is something most people neither care about nor wish to consider. Having carefree and promiscuous sexual experiences is not inherent to the male experience, it's just been gatekept by men. Huge difference.
As for grabbing a dead man's genitals and laughing, I find it highly plausible given that Bella's only quasi-parental figure shows little regard for the autonomy of dead people.
Alasdair Gray was a vehement Scottish nationalist, and would have DESPISED the fact that the opening is relocated. I'll read the book (and will probably watch the film at some point) even though I've tried three times to read Gray's 'Lanark' and failed.
Thank goodness there are still sane people in this world I can’t believe how much love this stupid movie has gotten. The gaslighting from men and even other women has been so frustrating, it’s not anti-intellectual to dislike bad screenwriting.Your review was so helpful cause hearing how the book was framed gave me a better understanding of how the movie took it even further in a wrong direction so thank you for that!
I appreciate your review, but I have to say that the film helped me cope with my personal SA experiences. Kind of taught me that I don’t need to inherently feel shame and guilt for being a victim of abuse. That if I don’t feel traumatised by it 24/7 I’m not broken, or not a ‘real victim.’ It doesn’t have to define me. I’ve been told that before, but never really felt those who told me that actually believed it. Bella kind of made me feel seen. Helped me view things differently that didn’t also absolve the people who’ve abused me.That’s my own personal experience with it though, really can’t speak on anyone else’s, or the film maker’s, behalf. If it was intended, or is being taken as a, fetish I find that absolutely foul and really hope it’s not the case for the film makers, or most viewers. Kind of absolutely destroys what I personally took the point to be. Which would suck
Art is what you take from it, I'm glad this film helped you reframe your trauma. Different interpretations can exist simultaneously. Take care.
I thought I was going insane with so many praising this movie and hitting other with, "Oh you don't understand it and it is indeed very feminist..." I work in a call center for Medicaid insurance. Some of our member's suffer from trauma that has reverted them back to the mind of a child. I have actually spoken with one of these member's because the caretaker got upset with me and didn't inform me of the situation and simply put the member on the phone where I could tell after she had told me as a "gotcha moment" the member has the mind of a four year old so they can't properly consent. Someone pointed out this issue in a comment I read that the takes people have for this movie completely gloss over the excuses predators use for children and disabled adults and I agree it just made me feel grossed out, especially because I am a victim of this behavior, which may make me biased. I feel this movie (hopefully) will be one of those that the new generation will completely tear into and wonder why our generation so heavily praised it when there are clear issues with the message. I mean I don't why now in the current age where the majority reamed (rightfully so) cuties, and heavily fights against this kind of thing and does not see the same aspect here? Yes Cuties had actual children, but we are told by this story this woman has the mind of a child. She has the mind of toddler. Emma stone herself claimed she watched toddler vids to get in the mind of child for this movie. It's not about being offended at everything this just wasn't a great execution especially with so many reports of more and more abuse coming to light from creators and even Hollywood. I did not read the book, however. Perhaps a better take would have been to grow seeing the issues with a patriarchal society and overcoming them minus the other "scenes." I could go on but this comment is already long lol. Your feelings are validated unfortunately we are in the minority.
Thank you for sharing. I thought we were the generation that would see the issues with something like this but apparently not 🙃
I don't think the crowd lambasting Cuties came out to watch this.
Wasn’t the movie a satire and allegory of all these ills? That’s how I saw it.
I thought I was going insane when I sat in a cinema and everybody around me really enjoyed the film and I was the only one who wasn't. Just so we're clear: we are watching a child (in the body of a grown woman, but still a child who is mentally maybe 7 or 8 years old) being abducted and f***ed by a grown man... And, of course, she loves it...
Also: I have watched and read many retellings of the Frankenstein story - this is the only version, in which the "monster" discovers her humanity by being sexually exploited.
Am I weird, when I think that this is very little else than a very toxic male fantasy? Having a partner with a beautyful female body, but with the mind, the life experience and the emotional world of a child. Maybe that's why every man in the film falls in love with her: they enjoy this little-girl-in-a-woman's-body-fantasy!
I noticed a pattern in the discussion surrounding this movie. Practically every person who gave this movie a thumbs-up completely ignored the power imbalance between Bella and Duncan. In my opinion, their relationship amounted to statutory r* for lack of a better term.
exactly.
Absolutely!
It's making me incredibly uncomfortable, I'm not sure that those people are only excusing it because it's ficton...He behaved like a classic groomer, got her young, isolated her , took advantage sexually then expected her to remain child like for his satisfaction and convenience
I interpret their relationship and power imbalance as part of the point. I've only just recently watched the movie after having read the book a year ago, so I'm only now getting to hearing/watching other people's reviews and thoughts. But I don't think people are specifically ignoring or excusing it. Parts of the social commentary of the story, in both versions, are dealing with bodily autonomy and control, grooming, knowledge and power, etc. And having those 'more controversial' topics throughout the story doesn't equate to people commending it if they like or love the film.
tbh I felt the same. I walked out of the cinema and felt confused and disappointed. The movie focused way too much on sex and glorified it to a point where I thought this is getting ridiculous. I personally loved Willem Dafoe as Godwin. I really felt his pain in his relationship with his father. But so many other characters were just bland and felt so stereotypical. The screenplay sucked but the casting, cinematography, editing were wonderful. I would´ve loved if the screenplay let some things unanswered, just so that the audience can think a little bit for themselfs and make their own interpretations. I really want to read the book now after seeing the movie because I think the book has a lot more to offer. Thanks for the review.
Godwin got a pass in the end even though he experimented on a woman's body without her consent and only refrained from molesting his "daughter" because he was physically unable to have sex. Furthermore, he was going to marry off Bella to control her.
Thanks for watching! You're absolutely right about the cast, they are what made me want to watch in the first place.
I get that the acting for Emma stone is really good and it’s incredible but that doesnt change that this movie is obscene. Sex in and of self is not wrong but at some point it wasn’t adding to the characters or plot. If two characters can have the same convo with their clothes on. Then why have it in the film otherwise it feels pornographic and felt like Emma stone was taken advantage of…. She didnt have to bear her body like that for the film. She got the oscar but at what cost
You can blame the director in addition to the writer because the director has the final say on all aspects of the movie. For instance, it was Yorgos 's decision to change the color scheme from black and white to color while Bella was having sex with Duncan because apparently, a woman's life is devoid of color and meaning without heterosexual sex. I believe that a female director would not have made that choice.
she keeps her female lover so...
I feel ridiculous for not making that connection. Great point!
The color scheme does not change because of that, but because she is free for the first time to explore the world through her own lences and has break free fro the house she was not allowed to get out from and the do's and dont's there. She starts her own journey.
I interpreted the color change as a symbolism for her escaping into the world for the first time. She’s seeing the world and learning, therefore, color is introduced. It didn’t have anything to do with the sex to me.
I'm so very appreciative of your candid review. I've not seen the film and I didn't know the book existed. I'm gonna give each a look-see.
I haven't watched the film or read the book, but I am going through reviews to figure out if it's as off-putting as it seemed in the trailer. One thing I think is interesting that while looking through comments, most people I've seen (so far) that refers to the movie as "feminist" are people who equate "feminism" with "hot woman fucking many men".
Another interesting thing I've noticed is that on average, female reviewers (and their comment sections seem more critical of the movie and, you know, bring up the uncomfortable sex scenes. Male reviewers are more likely to cake on the praise, are more likely to not mention the sex issues, and if their comment sections bring up the sex scenes it's "feminism ruined the movie because feminism = promiscuity".
Obviously this is just a generalisation of what I've seen so far, and it could be that there just randomly happened to be this weird divide between the reviews that I selected, but I'm not sure how much deeper I'd want to dig this hole. The movie is very clearly not my cup of tea, though I might check out the book if it's in the library.
I liked hearing your view on both! The book had that end section that tells us Bella says what Candle wrote wasn't true, and that explains why certain things read like a male fantasy and seems misogynistic-because it was Candles male fantasy version of what happened with Bella.
And I agree the movie misses the mark in some ways, and the brothel scenes went on for too long. And I agree the scene with the apple was weird.
But I think both book and movie address the Born Sexy Yesterday trope so well! And book in particular was so self aware in what it was doing.
Even though I liked both more than you did, I loved hearing your perspective! Great video! 😀 and thanks for linking to me in the description!
Thanks for watching. I think the end didn’t land well for me because I was so exhausted by the time I got to her letter that I was over it lol but I can see why people like the book
Did you see the note in the book after Bella's letter which raises doubts about her version of events?
I was also rather frustrated with Yorgos racebending McCandless since he is played by Egyptian-American Ramy Youseff and not really doing anything about it? I kept hoping that since the book was about English colonialism of Scotland, the film would at least allude to Max being from the colonies at the beginning of the film. And again, the fact that the Black and Brown characters are only there to serve a White woman's story and have the personality of cardboard cutouts.
That is an important point. I think Hollywood wants us to go with the flow with blind casting but sometimes it doesn't work and this is a great example of that especially with the context from the book in mind.
Did you notice that the only person who we see engaging with Bella in a way that's actually about her genuine sexual pleasure is a black woman.The black man on the cruise ship is effectively her mammy too
I love this video! It really highlights a lot of the aspects i found creepy about the obscene amount of sex showcased in the film (her being mentally underage, the scene with the brothers, and so on). I wish we could’ve gotten a more thoughtful representation of the book and its message on the big screen, but your analysis was super thoughtful and well done!
Thank you! Glad I’m not alone
Refreshing opinion! Haven't read the book but I love Yorgos' weirdness and Emma is a favorite of mine. I hope their cinematic relationship flowers as far as it can but this one left me cold. Overly voyeuristic and inhuman. Seems like the book won't make up for that.
Thank you so much for this video. Since I watched the movie. I've been thinking there's something wrong with me as everyone keep calling it a masterpiece, and I personally wanted to vomit after watching it. Totally agree that McNamara's writing ruined it
It’s a fictitious story told in a book made into a fictitious story told by a film. It’s not real life. It’s a means to illustrating how and why we humans live our lives based on the culture we live which dictates our morals and sensibilities to various aspects of life. Incidentally, who says that any film based on a book has to be utterly truthful to that book. Films are different to books.
The movie to me felt like a man's fantasy of what an enpowered woman is ft. crazy doctor and cute landscapes.
I haven't read the book but I did go to the movie and aside from the cinematography enjoyed nothing about this movie. I'm not a prude by any means. I watched Rotting in the Sun the night before which has pretty graphic sex in it and thought it was a good movie but not a great one. The only part I liked was the horrible husband having a goat brain at the end of the movie. I think there was a good movie in there but you are correct that the script was awful.
“There was a good movie in there,” totally felt this. I feel like they got close to getting there too but they missed the mark. Sex and sexuality are part of the woman’s experience but we’re also so much more than that “Well this is how men see Bella and women,” is just a cop out for me. Where is the part where she realizes that? Where is the part where she discovers sex is about more than just feeling good and her own desires and attraction? If that’s what they were getting at when she goes back to McCandles I don’t think they did a good job. I would have liked to see Bella show other emotions as she grew other than angry and horny lol.
And the brothel section went on too long. The sex doesn’t bother me (the brothers was weird though, could have done without that), but that should have been a part of her story that didn’t take up like the entire last half of the film. She decides to go to medical school and become a doctor and we barely see it.
I haven’t read the book, and was looking for a good synopsis or comparison, so thanks. If you are looking for more validation of your feelings towards the film, I did a video breaking down the film and the psychological implications of it on my channel which you might appreciate. czcams.com/video/qj9ZvoG5aZc/video.html
Thanks for sharing. I look forward to checking it out.
I got dissapointed too, I'll never watch it again.
I knew nothing about the movie before watching it and I really hated it and I'm so surprised everyone seems to love it? Feels like some men use making a "artsy" movie as an excuse to see their favorite actresses in sexual scenes or smth. And ofcourse they have to be either portraid as teens or have the mind of a child.. Make the character like it and suddenly it's feminist!
I like that you reference the S.F. Review as your point of view.
Mick Lasalle hated this movie the most out of all of the professional critics.
Giiiirll same, I just finished the movie and I thought I went insane
You restated all my qualms with hollywood. All the teen and kid sex. Its gross. We're adults, can we get adult stories about adults and about adults? Some of the stuff you mentioned is rly disturbing and makes me not want to watch it.
I read this book almost a year ago and just watched the movie last weekend. I also thought the book was interesting with the somewhat ambiguous ending, it being up to the reader on what was the truth. But last month I watched someone else's video of them talking about their thoughts on the film and as I wrote my comment, while that can still be the case of the ending being ambiguous, I realized that aspect of the narrative and structure was (1) a large homage to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and (2) most importantly showing the difference of character, particularly of Bella/Victoria. You mainly have the men's version of Bella vs. Victoria telling about herself. I figured the end of the movie was not going to have anything with the real Victoria or any letter or whatever because of how Bella and her perspective is the focus. Like when I read the book McCandless and Godwin felt like the main characters with Bella and Duncan being supporting characters. But she is the movie. And I think that was the right choice for the movie, in my opinion, partly because I didn't really like Bella in the book and I also think people would hate the movie more because there would be more interpretation of 'men dictating the woman' as bad, instead of the way the themes and messages are explored and shown in the story. I really like both the book and the film, and see them as different versions of the story. (Too bad Alasdair Gray is dead; I would love to know his thoughts on the film, but all we can do is speculate.)
lol, the thing with the man taking his boys to the brothel is a thing that happened in real life, so it was probably supposed to be a nod to men doing that historically, especially at such a young age and in comparison to girls who were not supposed to know about sex until marriage basically.
I feel like you just summed up my thoughts on the film! I haven't read the book, but I think "Poor things" could have been done without that many s ex scenes and use that screen time differently. But I'm a big fan of all the costumes and scenography, these oscars were fully deserved
I loved this video. I watched the movie first then read the book. I agree with the unnecessary focus being on sex in the movie but I didn’t really mind it. That part in the brothel with the kids just reminded me of real life men exposing their sons to sex. Boosie is a great example of this as he admitted to getting grown women for his underaged son. Every scene in the brothel depicted a different way men like to use women. Also I feel it was a pretty accurate depiction of how men wanted women during the time (uneducated, moldable, and able to give birth to children). I like the book more bc of the class focus. For me, both mediums were very thought provoking.
THANKYOU! I wish I had read the book in order to put the movie in context.
Thank you for sharing!!
I feel your pain. I couldn't make it through this film.
If i was watching it at home a would have turned it off
I wouldn't say its misogynistic, more than it is pedophIllic.
its pornographic
both ~
Well let’s not forget that she. Has her literal baby brain! So known of her decisions are right.
Your review is everything its funny and smart yet its very true in informal
Probably Mac-nuh-mair-uh. But I could be wrong. Ralph Fiennes is pronounced "Rafe," and that's not the case with every Ralph.
I saw more of Emma Stone than I ever thought possible. 😳
Spot on, well done!
Everything you said is 100% accurate! It was big disappointment into the first 25 mins if I gave it that. The fact that I feel like Bella/God’s relationship definitely more Father and child after he realizes what it’s like to be a parent, and how a woman should really be presented to the world. He had real hopes for Bella. As far as candle he was just a rigid as Society and though he appreciates her, in the long just as closed minded. Bella really becomes a strong willed woman. She educated and hard working towards all her projects. It’s tragic it was turned into a porn .
I never watched “The Favourite” but I liked “The Killing of a Sacred Deer.” Thought “The Lobster” was fine… Not as good as TKOASD. Thank you for your review. I’ll wait till it pops up on HBO or Showtime. 😉
I think it’s on Hulu
agreed with a lot of what you said, I had a lot of the same issues with the movie. I didn't *hate* it because aesthetically it was nice and I could kind of see what they were going for but yeah, being written by white men was a huge disservice to this. Maybe the only thing I "liked" about it was what I saw as potential for it to be a better narrative if rewritten with some HEAVY key changes, but technically that's not actually liking the thing is it lmao. haven't read the book but am curious to so I can see the differences, but I appreciate the heads up you give about some of the stuff in it so I won't be as blindsided by the book as I was by the movie lmao
Just saw the movie and I was so conflicted. Beautiful movie, gorgeous acting, but I hated the premise of the story. Isn't it an abortion metaphor? Essentially "God" stole this womans body and gave it to her child who uses and abuses it for sex. It was so misogynistic. She ends the movie with her father on a leash in the same way God put her on a leash. I can't tell if I was supposed to be horrified the whole time but it just felt grossly exploitative. There's an overdue time and place for women reclaiming their sexuality, but the mind of a child in the body of her super sexy mother is NOT it.
EXACTLY!
I agree completely. I was creeped out by the movie and felt a bit crazy by the majority of people praising it. There are artistic qualities about the movie that are bold, and even beautiful. But when you keep in mind that Bella is an infant/child it becomes really gross on so many levels. I am pretty open minded to artistic expression, and I can't shake the feeling of ick that the movie gave me.
I enjoyed Poor Things! I wasn’t bothered by the sexual content because 1) I was aware of that going into it due to the rating, 2) the sexual choreography was too absurd for it to be sexy imo. I can imagine it would feel shocking and uncomfortable if you weren’t expecting that/had a different view of sex in films.
Bella used an apple in that scene because fruit is often used as a metaphor for sex/genitals in art and film. I kind of liked that it had this grotesque element to it? So much of girls’ sexual awakenings in film is crafted specifically for the male gaze, and this just wasn’t. 😂
I also feel like the brothel chapter dragged, but I liked the overall point-that Bella selling sex was a way to take ownership of her body, and also fund her schooling. She went from being led around by a man using her for her body, to using her body to expand her own horizons. In that journey she becomes curious about autonomy and the ethics of her creation.
I loved the film-but I think maybe a little less “furious jumping” would have made it more accessible to a wider audience.
The apple as a sexual device was a played-out and obvious biblical metaphor. Yawn You say that scene doesn't pander to the male gaze, but women don't stuff apples up themselves, and if they did, they wouldn't come like porn queens. This movie was made for the male gaze because it features a woman-child who fulfills a male fantasy in that she is receptive to sex at all times in every position without any pesky menstrual issues getting in the way. That she is naive about the world is a bonus.
The movie presents a whitewashed, third wave feminist (blech) version of unregulated brothels. A real 19th century woman didnt become a brothel sex worker to "expand her horizons." She did it out of a desperate need for money and was forced to sleep with abusive clients. She was indebted to the owner for her room and board and couldnt leave until that debt was paid off. The threat of rape and STDs always loomed.
this was a great response! most people will unfortunately misunderstand the purpose of the sex because we live in a society that lacks proper sex education and also treat sex as taboo.
The movie may be artistically brilliant, but it's empty of character development and humanity. The female Frankenstein here has no heart. The "edgy" director has focused his gaze on Bella's "furious jumping" and does not proceed telling the real story of Bella--outside the bedrooms! It's a tragic flaw that borders on paedophilic (no consent from the baby girl as not mentally mature enough) or necrophilic perversion. Like the mechanistic sexual acts she performs without any moral compass nor rules and boundaries shaped by parenting and societal norms, this film is art without the heart. Mary Godwin Shelley [whose mother was the famous feminist Mary Wollestonecraft] wouldn't like this Yorgos' obsessively one-note "gaze" nor would she think that Bella found "empowerment" inside a Parisian brothel. Bella says at the end "I am a flawed experimenting person". So is this subversive misanthropic, misogynist film.
I agree with you, but technically it is a really well made movie, is just the script that sucks; because camera work, lighting, custom design, the acting and everything else is honestly amazing.
True!
The book sounds cool. I think the movie is trash too. It's trash with a big budget lol. So, the production value was impressive (costumes, acting, sets etc), but it was high budget trash lol Great video!
A less than steller review for this overrated movie is refreshing.
Thanks for watching!
I am baffled by the praise it’s getting, though Emma is great. It’s just as muddled and confused in its messaging as Saltburn, and has an even more dumbed down and shallow girl power attitude than Barbie. It seems for men, by men. I can appreciate all 3 movies for being unserious and fun, but the other 2 movies are criticized heavily while this one is considered high art. Wonder why that is.
🤣
yep, its a movie that "seems" for men by men therefore evil....this is just such an idiotic take, reminds me of 90's feminists complaining about rappers having girls shaking their ass in music videos as misogynistic because men did it then fast forward to today and its now empowering to do so. The fact that you cant fathom that women too can be into some shit that men are into is just top tier elitist misogyny right there.
Plus these 3 movies are very different movies, they are not even grouped together in whatever way shape or form cause their genres styles and theme are very far apart from each other, so slapping them together cause you wanna make a men vs women argument is just shallow.
@@afrosymphony8207 it’s called the male gaze and you clearly don’t know what it is babe. I know a lot of women like it, and I am happy they do! The messaging was still confused, as was the other 2 movies I mentioned. Cry about it some more, and pick up a book while you’re at it. The sex didn’t bother me at all, the bdsm scene was funny. It was that she had a baby brain and people think it’s so profound. Thank you for the laugh
It’s a prestige thing for sure. It’s Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone so people go hard for it when we just need to be honest with ourselves. I am with the reviewer here, it was not good. It did not set out to do what it allegedly wanted to do. I don’t think Emma Stone’s performance was even that good. She’s so talented and has given great performances and I was so disappointed. The whole thing just feels like it’s trying too hard.
@@potato-whiz Pearls before swine.
THANK YOU !!! You're not crazy! THE MOVIE WALKS A FINE LINE as CLUMSILY as BELLA's first baby steps. I left so let down & feeling like the poor thing was me having gone to see it! I view the mainstream praise as a reflection of our times where superficiality vs substance has become the norm. If there's enough surface glitter, lip filler, butt padding & marketing ferocity then there's a good chance of success. Like a Frankenstein monster, Poor Things was a series of pieced-together events that touched on several deep social issues yet followed through on none of them. Like a Frankenstein who's threads are were loose vs sewn tight., much of her character was just plain contradictory. For one, her performance seemed to be retarded at first rather than a newborn innocently becoming aware while her unrestrained bluntness & unfettered reactions seemed too cold & cruel and lacking any sweet naive childlike innocence or wide-eyed curiosity. She was often emotionally one dimensional & distant, IMO. Later attempts were made to humanize her but by then the story had already begun to drag & the many narrative ideas remained unresolved. SO MANY CRITICS HAVE HAD THE EXACT SAME REACTIONS to the film so I know I'm not just being purely subjective. EITHER YOU CAN IGNORE ALL THE BROKEN PIECES of the Story or they stand out like a sore thumb. Maybe the pretty nature on the surface camouflaged the holes in the film or the quirkiness but it was far from the best thing since sliced bread. In fact it ended up being mostly just icing without much cake! I find it interesting that people care less about seamless intricate complex storytelling & more about surface decoration. Some directors can do both. Although there were a few funs scenes, none of them validate the flaws of the overall film. At times her actions are CONTRADICTORY & hypocritical to a Story that was CONVOLUTED in it's exploration of many social themes which were never resolved. Many scenes were pretty but ARBITRARY and did little to progress the narrative! Her FRANKENHOOKER phase was wild & a bit intense but it was mostly contrary to her strong free-willed independent nature. Concepts of misogyny, pedophilia, prostitution, abuse only serve to SHOCK rather than reveal any true insight, empathy or heroic sentiment. For all the men bashing she then freely allows a woman, the Madame Dwarf, to use & abuse her. Saying nothing about contraception and STD's. Often I was just confused to whether or not to laugh or frown. Nevertheless the IMAGERY is stimulating to watch but the STORY just gets SLOW around 3/4 the way through. After all the controversial SEX, when it should become full of intrigue, conflict resolution or drama it stalls when her new found "ENLIGHTENMENT" BOAT TOUR tries to get Political, to no successful conclusion except to END with a GOAT SACRIFICE & sick operation to show REVENGE towards her estranged Father, a stranger to us & her the entire film only with her return to a non-romantic relationship with a FEEBLE wannabe Frankenstein Scientist Husband who unsuccessfully did to that poor girl exactly what was done to Bella. WTF?!!! I LEFT UNINSPIRED, unsympathetic, irritated over the whole experiences! > Please GO WATCH any TERRY GILLIAM film * or PIERRE JUENET's "Amelie" or 'City of Lost Children" (in French) or even DEL TORO'S "The Shape of Water" to experience truly strange, VISIONARY, eclectic, quirky, enriched, yet fascinatingly cohesive FAIRYTALE STORYTELLING. Heck you can even rewatch the classic "The WIZARD of OZ" to experience a film of this style, done EXCELLENTLY in 1939!
A good movie adaptation of a book does not mean slavishly copying the book but recognising that movies are a different medium where the book should serve as a source of thematic inspiration and narrative structure.
I completely agree with you and I can be disappointed that the parts of the book that I wanted to see in a film weren’t a part of the movie. Thanks for watching!
The movie left out a key part of the book.
I have a daughter your age, and she might have felt squeamish about the sex, too. At 63, and having lived a fairly old-fashioned and unsatisfactory sex life, I found the movie intoxicating, liberating, hilarious, and hopeful. All of it, including the masturbation and the two brothers, seemed harmless.
I loved this film too! It was refreshing and liberating to watch. The entire film was a feast for the eyes!
I didn't love the film but I'm Cirrena's age and had no qualms over the sex. Probably the most interesting aspect of her evolution.
If someone I knew was deliberating having sex in front of his tween sons, I would report him to CPS. It's not okay to take advantage of a mental child even if she says yes. Bella lacked the ability to give informed consent to Duncan.
@@maryjaneshoe-fm4yrehh it’s not that deep. It was a funny movie.
I'm not familiar with the book but I really enjoyed the film even though it was uneven. I see your point about the whiteness of it all and that white dudes are probably giving it accolades because it's what they want to see.
But ironically I think all of that is what's reflected in the movie. It seems to me the movie is about men's fear of not being in control over women and their discomfort with their dependence on women.
The sex in the movie seems to reflect a man's fear of women's sexuality run rampant, perhaps to the point of absurdity.
Maybe for that reason I was not offended or disturbed. I actually thought the man coming in to show his two sons how to please a woman was quite funny and another great example of men being insecure about being a good lover. He ridiculously instructs his sons in what to do rather than simply giving her a chance to speak for herself.
Also there were lots of other examples of Bella being the opposite of the ideal Victorian woman that she would probably have been expected to be. She was so non-maternal that she wanted to punch a baby 😂. She had no charm or social graces, and she had political and philosophical opinions.
I think you are reading too much into this shallow movie. The script sees the sex, including the statutory r*, as a necessary part of a girl's intellectual and autonomous development which is a harmful message to send.
This is a good point. I just couldn't get the development age of her out of my head when watching
The only thing I liked about the movie was the production and the cinematography. Mark Ruffalo deserves a razzie as his accent was all over the place. I am from Sf, and I hated the movie. It was very misogynistic!!!!!! Such a lame book!!!
When he hit his head on the bar I was like what are we doing here!?
Agreed with 99.9 % of your review. It may be a bad movie. Howevcer, it is a pretty creative porno movie.
lol I’m dead
I agree with everything you said and I wanted to walk at out. So awful! I will never watch a movie by the director and the screenwriter. The actor who played McCandless was great!
🤣
"i will never watch a movie by the director and screenwriter"....i think you're being abit too childish.
@@afrosymphony8207She gave the filmmakers a chance and they failed. Why should she trust them again?
@@afrosymphony8207 Nope, it's an adult decision. If I give my money to a company and they suck, I wouldn't give them my money again. Same with filmmakers.
@@nian60 yes, so if i pay to watch a movie by a24 then i end up not liking it, its a big boy adult decision to NEVER pay for an a24 movie again. ok adult, do u big baby.
You need validation for your opinion about the movie yet you are giving a review about it.
Yup. Thanks for watching!
Oh, it's Born Sexy, Yesterday trope?
With respect, if you are discussing an author. It’s rather important to get the author’s name correct. It is not Alexander but - ALASDAIR GRAY. The book is excellent- not sure you got it at all? Perhaps I’m wrong. You interpreted the book differently from mine.
You are however correct in that a Scottish perspective would’ve made sense. I wonder what Alasdair, who died in 2019 would've thought. The movie was okay - the book was a masterpiece. I’ve read it three times and plan to do so again.
He took the characters but made a movie about god ,the devil adam and eve and bella who is lilith. That is why it is not like the book!
This is movie is for Lilith worshippers
I did not like the movie.. the sex was too much for me. I really wanted to enjoy it. I was struggling to stay up.
if poor things is so exhausting .. imagine watching dogtooth...or lobster .. dont even go there
I was interested in watching Lobster but I won’t prioritize it
The books is excellent and so is the film. I have no problem whatsoever with the director's creative choices. I think the only issue Gray would have with the film is the switch of setting from Glasgow to London.
And it's Alasdair Gray, not Alexander. Doh.
Given the designation of your channel, you were always going to compare the film with the novel, but why? While the book is the source material on which the movie is based, your critique of the film should not have focused primarily on COMPARISON, but should have treated the film as a creative work in its own right. That the director decided to make changes to the book's narrative structure should have alerted you to the fact that Lanthimos had his own purposes in mind in recounting the story of Bella Baxter in the way he did. As a result of seeing these alterations to the storyline in a negative light, I think you have misunderstood the film's intent, which was not to construct Bella as a male fantasy, but to show her striving to liberate herself from all of the men in her life, including her creator (think Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, who both invented the Frankenstein myth and also wrote about the emancipation of women). I'm too close to the film as yet to have drawn any firm conclusions about whether it has succeeded or failed in realising its aims, but I strongly believe that the movie should be viewed on its own terms and not treated as if it were made solely to serve as a visual analogue of the novel.
it was a fetish film masquerading as a think piece
The perfect description!
I don't agree, Bella's first masturbation, it happened right after the first time she encountered the outside world and was denied human interaction. I think this denial injects meaning to the act of seeking pleasure within herself for not having the possibility of bonding with others.
Then the scene you're referencing it's a thing around the globe. Maybe well adjusted america doesn't have this ocurrences, but in south america debuting in a wh0r3 house is or was common place for young boys decades ago. Which doesn't deviate substantially from how some men want to take part in sex nowadays. I don't think they exploited Bella or Emma Stone in any of this sex scenes. It's reductive for the Actor's work, in my opinion.
I would also defend the screenplay for fixing errors like the one you mentioned: where Bella finally got the money to go back to scotland, in the book.
I think I would have appreciated the masturbation scene more if it took time to show her exploring her whole body. But waking up from being knocked out cold then going straight to it felt very out of nowhere. Displaying some curiosity would have made it make more sense to me but I understand your point.
@@Booktomovieclub I´m realizing with this storie how interesting the comparison of book and adaptation can be (just now, lol). Anyway, thanks a lot!!! your video is really helpful.
@@tomasschiappacassi2401 appreciate it. Thank you for watching!
Exactly, sold his soul for propaganda
Didn't like much of the film either. So many people praising it. Not sure what I'm missing. Much of it quite uneccesary.
Not syre what you meant by male whiteness though.
This film is perfect. My life story.
What I'm realizing is: the people opposed to this flik are folk who aren't in alternative lifestyles or kink community in general.
It's Meta fiction after all.
Oh don’t worry, that movie sucks
I'm in love with Poor Things. I've seen it three times and plan to see more. I also really enjoyed the book, not as much as the movie because it's through the eyes of the men in Bella's life.
You are missing the point if all you are focusing on is the sex.
How are people missing the point..? Film is subjective and interpretive. If people want to focus on the theme of sex and sexual liberation the film contains then they are allowed to do so...
More like the director and screenwriter are missing the point...I've seen other films with explicit sex and had no issue...this movie IS the problem. Maybe u have to get off your high horse and realise you may be missing the point too :)
Um, the relentless sex scenes practically force the audience to focus on the sexual aspect. The time spent on the sex dwarfs the book learning scenes.
@@ToriH i hope that one day people realize that sex is normal and seeing it in art isn't a big deal because again its normal. the sex in this film has plot and character importance but people are too busy shrieking at the idea of nudity, penises, and vaginas to understand that. if sex and sexuality is still taboo for you please just make your mommy cover your eyes for you or something.
1. Discovering your sexuality BEFORE discovering the taboos and social norms is EXACTLY 'why would someone behave' in such way.
2. Epistolary form is a trope in novel writing since the time of novel's inception.
3. I really, really wanted to like your review! I clicked on it immediately because I wanted validation as well....but constantly giggling and repeating 'weird' is a bit disappointing. Anyways, I'm sure your analyses of book formats, authorial intent and deep diving into discussions on written to visual medium will improve. I did like the title of your video. The movie was too male gazey to convince me it's a critique of patriarchy. Just another 'women are dumb if they dislike it' production.
Saying it's mysoginistic because the girl like main character is swaying a lot of men, sounds very modern of you. She should have been more assertive, bossy, sexy presenting to sway those men. Mysoginy always coming from the expected speakers