"Such Poor People", the new film by the Greek director Giorgos Lanthimos, nominated for no less than 11 Oscars, is one of the most celebrated and craziest films of the current awards season.
Based on a novel by the Scottish writer Alisdair Gray, which was published in 1992, Lanthimus' stylish film is a wonderful combination of "Frankenstein", "Barbie" and "Pygmalion", and is a surreal, feminist and very funny Victorian parable.
At the center of the plot is Bella Baxter, a young and pregnant woman who commits suicide by jumping off a bridge at the very beginning of the film, and is resurrected immediately afterwards by a mad scientist.
The twist?
In order to revive her, the scientist had to implant in Bella's head the brain of the baby in her womb.
Bella is played by Emma Stone ("La La Land", "Cruella"), who also participated in Lanthimus' previous film, "The Favorite".
Her phenomenal performance here, which accompanies Bella from infancy to adulthood (and requires a transition between different states of consciousness), squeezes extreme compliments even from viewers who are less connected to the peculiarities and messages of the film itself, and marks her as a favorite to win the Oscar in the best actress category.
"It was a very great gift to play Bella," says the 35-year-old actress at an online press conference held on the occasion of the film's release.
"She is my favorite character of all time. I did not hesitate for a moment whether to agree to play her and I felt very lucky when the role was offered to me."
What fascinated you so much about the project?
"I think this character is unlike anything we've seen before. She's characterized by pure joy and curiosity, and she doesn't have an iota of shame or trauma. It's hard to find a grown man without Pavlovian reactions to certain things and without judgmental feelings about himself or his surroundings. But Bella doesn't - she's alive in a place of constant discovery".
How do you prepare for such a complex and challenging role?
"It was an amazing process. First of all, obviously we had to understand how she develops throughout the film in terms of her physicality and her use of language. But working with the amazing actors around me - Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruafel and Rami Youssef, among others - really helped me feel free and liberated within The different stages of development. The work was intuitive when we tried to imagine how someone like Bella would react to things happening around her, both physically and practically."
"temporal figure"
Despite the distinct and very contemporary feminist messages of the film, which are very reminiscent of those of the blockbuster "Barbie", Stone prefers not to categorize "such poor people", and is careful to emphasize that Bella's journey is bigger than the current cultural moment.
Emma Stone in "Cruella", photo: None
"I think the film shows the experiences that Bella gains in all areas of life. Along the way we follow her in different cities, in different environments and in different situations. So I don't think her journey is necessarily limited to her relationships with men.
"Meanwhile, each of the male characters that Bella meets is fascinating in its own way. Both in the different ways in which the men experience Bella, and also in the ways in which Bella experiences them. But there are also women who play an important role in Bella's evolution, and there are also encounters with animals, and food and dancing. Like Yes, it's important to remember that the book came out in 1992, so I think you can say that Bella is a temporary character."
This is your second film with Yorgos Lanthimos and you have already shot another film with him. Can you tell us a little about your creative collaboration?
"I think we just love and understand each other very much. We have respect and appreciation for each other, and I trust him fully as a director and as an artistic collaborator. It's so rare for an actor to feel that he can just give himself completely and still feel protected."
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