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Itse · 03-09-2024, 06:24 AM

I really enjoyed Poor Things, but I also think it's absolutely the kind of movie where it's okay to just walk out. It's got an extremely dark sense of humor, and the movie loves to play around with really problematic things.

Just to start with, the "childlike woman who really loves sex" is an extremely problematic cinema trope, and while Poor Things might be the only place where I would genuinely defend that choice, we're still moving in territory which is deliberately trying to make people uncomfortable. It's the kind of movie that if it didn't make anyone uncomfortable, it would be failing at what it's trying to do.

What I liked about Poor Things was that it's a rare movie where I was consistently surprised in the good way, both on a scene by scene basis, and even often on a line by line basis. That doesn't really happen much at this age, after watching so many movies.

It was also at it's best really funny, the performances were great, and the cinematography was a rare example of being really unusual, without ever becoming annoying or a distraction. That's a difficult balancing act.

There were choices I didn't love (the brothel section didn't really work for me, and the ending was a bit meh), but it's still nice to see a movie that was genuinely unique yet entertaining.

Speaking of unique and entertaining, I also watched the 1999 film Ravenous, and... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it, but I really enjoyed it

It's a somewhat comedic horror western about cannibalism. The story is a bit nuts (even if it takes inspiration from real life) but it's mostly played kind of straight. The directing is a bit lacking, it's clear that this wasn't a big budget production even though it has a really solid cast, with Robert Carlyle both stealing the show and saving the movie.

I would recommend it if you want to see a horror movie that's unique, an easy watch (good pacing), and has a whole mountain of sociopolitical subtext you don't have to agree with to enjoy the film. A box office bomb when it was released, a bit of a cult classic now.

03-09-2024, 06:24 AM	#8501
Itse Franchise Player Join Date: May 2004 Location: Helsinki, Finland Exp:	I really enjoyed Poor Things, but I also think it's absolutely the kind of movie where it's okay to just walk out. It's got an extremely dark sense of humor, and the movie loves to play around with really problematic things. Just to start with, the "childlike woman who really loves sex" is an extremely problematic cinema trope, and while Poor Things might be the only place where I would genuinely defend that choice, we're still moving in territory which is deliberately trying to make people uncomfortable. It's the kind of movie that if it didn't make anyone uncomfortable, it would be failing at what it's trying to do. What I liked about Poor Things was that it's a rare movie where I was consistently surprised in the good way, both on a scene by scene basis, and even often on a line by line basis. That doesn't really happen much at this age, after watching so many movies. It was also at it's best really funny, the performances were great, and the cinematography was a rare example of being really unusual, without ever becoming annoying or a distraction. That's a difficult balancing act. There were choices I didn't love (the brothel section didn't really work for me, and the ending was a bit meh), but it's still nice to see a movie that was genuinely unique yet entertaining. Speaking of unique and entertaining, I also watched the 1999 film Ravenous, and... I'm not sure if I'd recommend it, but I really enjoyed it It's a somewhat comedic horror western about cannibalism. The story is a bit nuts (even if it takes inspiration from real life) but it's mostly played kind of straight. The directing is a bit lacking, it's clear that this wasn't a big budget production even though it has a really solid cast, with Robert Carlyle both stealing the show and saving the movie. I would recommend it if you want to see a horror movie that's unique, an easy watch (good pacing), and has a whole mountain of sociopolitical subtext you don't have to agree with to enjoy the film. A box office bomb when it was released, a bit of a cult classic now.