Keswick Film Club - Reviews - Poor Things

In 2012 the Greek Film Director Yorgos Lanthimos met the great Scottish writer Alisdair Gray in Glasgow. Lathimos had read Gray's iconoclastic novel "Poor Things" and thought it would make a great film. Gray gave his blessing whilst giving Lanthimos a tour of his native city. Eleven years later "Poor Things" is hoovering up gongs at the world's film festivals and award ceremonies.

Emma Stone's performance as Bella has been lauded for its brilliance and physicality. The judges in Venice praised her performance as a "unique portrayal of a holy innocent discovering man's depravity and viscousness". It is then very much a film for our time!

The film has a deliciously eccentric score by the modern composer Jerskin Fendrix which seems to completely fit the film whilst standing out at the same time.

The film sets are beautiful to behold, first in black and white in London and then dripping with colour and vibrancy in Lisbon and Alexandria. They are retro-futuristic, brilliantly conceived and executed by James Price and Shona Heath. They create a fantastical adventurous, surreal, magpie world as seen through Bella's eyes. The sets also change as her knowledge and perception grow.

Lanthimos says his film deals with the most important things human life has to offer: sex, food, art, music and travel.

One critic describes the film as, "absolutely bat-shit, utterly filthy and truly original". It was shown to a capacity audience on Sunday evening at the Film Club and is showing again at the Alhambra on Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th March. If you get the chance go and see what all the fuss is about!!