Poor Things (2023) *****

 

Based on the 1992 novel by Alasdair Gray, “Poor Things” is a remarkable exploration of feminism and social mores through the conceit of a sort of Frankenstein's monster named Bella (Emma Stone). Willem Dafoe plays Dr. Godwin Baxter, who calls himself God for short. He has perfected Victorian-era surgical techniques to the point where he has grafted the head of a duck onto the body of a dog and created other hybrid creatures reminiscent of “The Island of Dr. Moreau.” Godwin gets access to the body of a young, pregnant woman who has just died by suicide. In a ruthlessly amoral experiment, he takes the brain of her unborn child and implants it into her body, which he re-animates, naming the result “Bella.”

We meet Bella as a mental toddler, uncoordinated and without speech. In a grown body, however, her brain matures rapidly. She soon develops sexual feelings, and is delighted to discover the ability to “make happy when I want.” An unethical rake of a lawyer (Mark Ruffalo) discovers Bella, and, enticed by such unrestrained sexuality in the body of a beautiful woman, whisks her off to the continent for a few weeks of sexual debauchery. As Bella matures through the stages of adolescence and young adulthood, however, she proves too much for the lawyer.

Bella moves beyond her obsession with sex to develop an interest in philosophy and books, hoping to improve herself and the world. That's a big theme of the story, whether someone can intentionally make themselves a better person. We eventually learn that Bella's mother had been married to a cruel man and was not a great person, herself. Indeed, Bella displays cruel tendencies in her youth, but she finds in herself a desire for self-improvement.

The story really isn't about Bella, it is about all of us. With her unique circumstance, growing up in an unconventional household and doing so very quickly, Bella is a person untainted by social expectations and conventions. Whether she is whoring herself out, experimenting with lesbianism, or simply rejecting the efforts of all the men in her life to control her, Bella does everything with a refreshing innocence. She was never taught that she had to submit to others or be ashamed of her body, and she reaches mental maturity so quickly that no one has the chance to pound those ideas into her brain.

The title, “Poor Things,” might refer to Bella, Godwin, and their bizarre household. It might refer to the poor underclass whom Bella discovers and wishes to help. Or, it might refer to all of us, hung up as we are on sexual shame and social niceties, wishing we could be free like Bella.

5 stars out of 5

The Thomas Crowne Affair (1968) ****

 

In this extremely stylish crime thriller, Steve McQueen plays investment banker Thomas Crowne, a guy for whom making money comes easy. He spices up his life racing cars, flying planes, bedding women, and, as the film begins, planning the perfect bank robbery. Crowne assembles a team of thieves who never meet each other until the robbery begins, and they never see his face or hear his real voice. Crowne doesn't need the money, mind you; pulling off the perfect crime is just another adrenaline rush for him.

For an adventure-seeker like Crowne, things only get better when the bank's insurance company brings in a brilliant, beautiful investigator (Faye Dunaway). Vicki Anderson is the perfect foil, just as stylish and clever as Crowne, and she is immediately onto him. Crowne gets to play a sexy cat-and-mouse game with the investigator, while Vicki winds up having to reconcile her job with the feelings she develops for Crowne.

In Steven Soderbergh's 1998 film "Out of Sight", the George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez characters, a bank robber and a cop respectively, discuss movies, including another Faye Dunaway film “Three Days of the Condor.” It's a clever Easter egg, because the cop/robber sexual tension that develops between Lopez and Clooney is very similar to what happens between Dunaway and McQueen here.

Unlike “Out of Sight,” “The Thomas Crowne Affair” doesn't have an ensemble cast of colorful supporting characters. This movie is all about Steve McQueen and Faye Dunaway, who, fortunately, have enough charm to carry the thing. It's a delightful, sexy story of two beautiful people circling each other in a perfect storm of crime, punishment, and sexual tension.

4 stars out of 5

Out of Sight (1998) ****

 

If we were to rank writers based on how many of their novels have been adapted to film, Elmore Leonard would have to be fairly high on the list. It seems like every time I see a slightly-hard-edged-yet-funny crime movie, it turns out to be based on an Elmore Leonard book. Classic films like “Jackie Brown” and "Get Shorty" come to mind. 1998's “Out of Sight” deserves to be mentioned in the same breath.

George Clooney plays bank robber Jack Foley. During a prison break, Jack kidnaps sexy Federal Marshall Karen Sisco (Jennifer Lopez), and the two hit it off. On the run with his best friend Buddy (Ving Rhames), Jack pursues his next big heist, with Karen and the FBI in hot pursuit. Karen, meanwhile, tries to reconcile her professional obligations with the undeniable chemistry between her and Jack.

During the prison break scene, while Jack and Karen are locked in the trunk of Buddy's car, they talk about movies (I told you they hit it off.) Jack brings up the film “Three Days of the Condor,” and Karen says she thinks it is unrealistic how quickly Faye Dunaway and Robert Redford hook up. It's great foreshadowing for how quickly Jack and Karen fall for each other.

I can't remember if Jennifer Lopez started out as an actress who got into singing or a singer who got into acting. I don't really care, as she isn't that great at either. She's drop-dead gorgeous, though, and she has never been cuter than in “Out of Sight.” The role doesn't really demand much from her, acting-wise, and George Clooney is a good enough actor for both of them.

One thing about an Elmore Leonard story is that there are no placeholder characters. Everybody has a backstory, and everybody brings some sparkle to the tale. The supporting cast here is up to the job, with outstanding actors including Ving Rhames, Don Cheadle, Steve Zahn, Luis Guzman, Catherine Keener, Dennis Farina, and Albert Brooks.

Director Steven Soderbergh puts great source material and a great cast to good use. “Out of Sight” is sexy, funny, gritty, and ultimately satisfying.

4 stars out of 5