Invented in 1816 by the 19-year-old British novelist Mary Shelley, during a wild night in Switzerland that brought together the cream of romantic authors, the myth of Frankenstein has since been adapted into books, comics, series and films. The film released in cinemas this Wednesday by the sulphurous Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos is a cynical digression that seeks to shake the viewer, even to horrify him at times.
The story begins when a doctor physically damaged by life and a little disturbed, Dr. Godwin (Willem Dafoe in one of those outrageous performances in which he is a specialist), eager for extreme scientific experiments, brings back to life a young suicide girl whom he patches up. But here's the thing: by dint of dubious genetic tinkering, the creature is reborn with the body of a 30-year-old woman and the brain of a baby.
Cynical variation on a hackneyed theme
Which evolves quickly, of course, which does not prevent Bella from behaving at first like a young puppy not very clean, before leaving to discover her body and sexuality in the company of a lawyer who takes her on a long and crazy adventure around the world, during which she will assert her freedom in an unexpected way... This is before a return home to the good doctor who will be able to see how his "experience" has taken a spectacular turn.
This cynical variation on a hackneyed theme will delight fans of Yorgos Lanthimos, to whom we owe the fabulous "The Favourite" but also films that take great pleasure in shaking up the audience, such as "The Lobster" or "Killing of the Sacred Deer". "Poor Creatures" belongs to the latter category. And so begins with a heroine urinating on herself and on the carpet with a big smile: charming.
At this point in the plot, those who will be put off by such delicacy and tempted to flee the room will be well advised to do so, as they will not have seen anything yet. Because what about the rest, where a woman of a mental age between 12 and 15 years old gets into the air frantically and indulges in prostitution to prove how free she is? We go on and on, and some of the most au gratin...
Quite repulsive visually
From a formal point of view, "Poor Creatures" is quite repulsive on a visual level, with an old-fashioned sci-fi aesthetic — which could evoke Jacques Tardi's comics — rather unsuccessful. In terms of content, the film shows a boring desire to gratuitously shock and distills a junk feminism that is quickly confronted with its own limits — for 2 hours and 21 minutes, all the same.
But then, why is there such enthusiasm from international critics who cry genius, while the feature film has been accumulating prestigious awards for several months — Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival, Best Comedy (a "comedy", really?) and Best Actress for Emma Stone at the Golden Globes, Best Actress at the Critics Choice Awards, very well placed in the top categories for the future Oscars...?
Probably because Lanthimos is adored by film professionals: despite the reservations we may have, we have to admit that his direction is once again brilliant. And that it offers Emma Stone the opportunity to shine in a "performance" that is as complex as it is impressive. But despite this, we still have to adhere to the cynicism and pseudo-transgressiveness of the subject: this was not our case.
Editor's Note:
2.5/5
"Poor creatures,"
comedy-drama by Yorgos Lanthimos, starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe... 2:21 a.m.