I think I’m a little bit disturbed by the new film coming out with Emma Stone in it..

[Soubriquet]

Apparently it’s called Poor Things and is based on a book. The premise is, a foetal brain is transplanted into an adult body..and we watch as this brain rapidly ages. So basically see a woman act like a baby and toddler. It’s also very sexually graphic, though also apparently it’s only when her brain reaches maturity does she begin to explore.

Maybe there’s more to it. Maybe the book makes a lot of sense. Maybe I’m being too sensitive but this really doesn’t sit right with me

And agree with this. It felt like sexual gratification for the male gaze, not empowering.

I’m glad that I read this as I really want to see it but it seems that most people have the same view as op so I wondered what was wrong with me!

Looks good to me

I'm going to see it. I'm intrigued and have heard good things about it. Yes, it sounds disturbing and thought provoking but I like to be challenged and will reserve judgement until I have actually watched it!

I've seen this and really enjoyed it! There is a lot of sex in it,but I don't personally think it's sexualising her for the male gaze (as a pp says). The men don't come out of it well on the whole!

I saw it earlier this year at a film festival and thought it was brilliant. It actually offers a pretty ascerbic critique of the sexualisation of (young/all) women. The acting is fantastic. The production design is like nothing I've seen. It's totally bonkers and it is indeed grotesque (as it's meant to be) and weird, like all of his films.

As far as I can recall the film doesn't explicitly state where the early parts are set & Willem Da Foe's character definitely has a Scottish accent in it. Why is everyone saying its not set in Glasgow?

Having seen the film I don't think it really impacts anything- its also set in Paris & Lisbon etc but not as we'd recognise them as they're portrayed in a very imaginative stylized way.

Not seen it yet (going on Saturday) but it's clear from city scenes in the trailer it's not Glasgow. Alasdair Gray's novels often have Glasgow as much a character as any of the humans so I do think it's a shame that hasn't been kept but I'll reserve judgement till I see it (and have added the book to my TBR list).

I haven’t seen it but I got an icky feel from the trailer (before tedious people jump on me - no I didn’t dismiss the idea of seeing it from the trailer or assume the trailer was representative of the film).

One thing I did think was, nomatter how clever/funny/thought provoking/‘pro women’ etc the film turns out to be, would they ever depict a man in a role like this?

I think I will see it before I make up my mind. Or read it, but probably will see it first.

would they ever depict a man in a role like this?

Tom Hanks in Big?
Peter Sellers in Being There (wasnt a baby but was clearly someone with SEN).

I haven’t seen those films - did they depict them in a sexual way?

those films are decades old. I think it’s fair to say approaches have changed.

We saw the trailer the other day and DH and I looked at each other and both said “well that looks shit” 🤣

I don’t disagree with this, but I think it could have been done with fewer gratifying sex scenes.

But the director does aim to shock, so feels like that is the overarching aim.

https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/dec/30/bloody-nonsense-how-glasgow-was-cut-from-the-oscar-tipped-film-poor-things

It did well in yesterday's Golden Globes.

They should ban it. No need to watch it. Just ban it.

Sarcasm?

Vice-Versa!

Sadly, not just Glasgow has been stripped from the film. I was in Waterstones just before Christmas and was surprised to see the latest print has just a picture of Emma Stone on the cover. It's pretty shocking if you know the original. Alistair Grey was an amazing artist, and the cover he designed really depicts his unique style. Now, the book has been stripped of that because, no doubt, to attract those who've seen the film.

I thought it looked interesting from the trailer but dh has banned me from watching it after I had a really weird experience watching The Lobster. Tbf he has a point!

If I got banned I’d definitely watch it

😆 True! Although when I watched The Lobster I had a weird depersonaliszation (?) experience at the cinema when for a few minutes I had no idea who or what or where I was. Was really scary actually so I don't blame him. (I do blame The Lobster!!)

Well, the adaptation isn’t really set anywhere — it’s a sort of heavily stylised steampunk world, technically London, Paris, Lisbon, but not really. I haven’t read the Alasdair Gray novel, but the people I saw the film with had, and said it was not a faithful adaptation otherwise. The film is mostly brilliant, funny, unsettling. There are astonishing performances from Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Kathryn Hunter, it’s beautiful-looking, and should be seen on a big screen. The costumes alone are worth seeing it for. There’s a rain cape based on a 19thc French condom which deserves its own Oscar.

I’ve only seen The Favourite of Yorgos Lanthimos’ other films — same producers and cinematographer. There’s a deliberately anachronistic dance scene strongly reminiscent of it.

You be the judge.