Emma Stone’s acting was so good in ‘Poor Things’ that audiences felt it made the glaring mistakes and less talented stars stick out terribly.
Emma Stone is an actor who is successful in whatever genre film she tackles. Her ability to play any character is what has led Stone to turn down roles that turned into box office hits due to scheduling conflicts. Be it comedy, musicals, thrillers, or dramas, Stone has yet to come across a role that she is not able to embody and take viewers on a journey with her. Sometimes those journeys leave viewers in stitches, other times, in tears.
Stone’s talent can be measured by the multiple films she has made that have grossed over $100 million. It is also apparent in the dedication that Stone has to completely commit to a character. Some of the lengths Stone has gone to for a role have even caused health complications. But, the commitment paid off as it ended in an Oscar for the actor.
Poor Things is Stone’s latest project where she has shone as the lead, Bella Baxter. A woman who dies from suicide and is brought back to life with the mind of an infant and has to navigate the world with a brain seeing things for the first time in a body that is far more mature.
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Poor Things was intended to be a film that would make people think about the existential theme. Instead, it became one of the most memeable films of the year. While there is a comedic aspect to it, as there are with most of Yorgos Lanthimos-directed films, Poor Things was not intended to be a traditional comedy. Despite Emma Stone’s Oscar nomination, Poor Things could not be saved, according to viewers, despite Stone saying it was one of the most remarkable films she has ever worked on.
Emma Stone’s Oscar-Nominated Performance In ‘Poor Things’ Was Not Enough To Save The Film
Emma Stone’s performance is award-worthy in ‘Poor Things’ but the rest of the talent, strange camera angles, and portions of the storyline were off-putting for some audiences
The performance from Stone in Poor Things is nothing short of extraordinary. Critics have sung her praises since the film debuted at the Venice Film Festival.
Stone’s performance has been lauded at every turn. From being called, “a generational talent approaching its peak” to “Stone’s brilliance is an example of an actress in full control of her instrument,” Stone gave her all for Poor Things. She has been rewarded with a Golden Globe win for Best Performance by a Female Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy and a nomination for an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.
Via: Instar
However, these praises and awards were not enough to sway fans. Many viewers did not think Stone’s performance was enough to save Poor Things. According to most, her talents far outshone the cast, many of which paled in comparison despite how hard they tried.
“Mark would mostly lose his accent when he had to inflect emotions in his lines,” one Reddit user said. “This was only made worse due to Emma. She highlighted the difference in their abilities.”
Another user wrote, “One of the worst movies I’ve had the displeasure of seeing. I wish I could get my 2.5 hours back.”
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“I loved the weirdness and the art direction, but I wish it had more to say,” a third user stated. “I felt like it was going in circles at a certain point.”
The final comment is part of the problem with the film. While some audiences understood that there was a deeper meaning to Poor Things, others were offended by the nudity and could not get past the scenes containing such, or, found the film to be a complete comedy. Because of this, Poor Things has been lost in translation for many.
‘Poor Things’ Was Supposed To Leave Audiences With A Deeper Meaning But Instead, Left Them Laughing
‘Poor Things’ was an existential film with symbolism that many audience members did not understand
The overall theme of Poor Things was akin to that of Barbie in that both films were feminist pieces done from an existential standpoint. Neither threw feminism in the faces of audiences. However, both leading ladies went through transformations where they became empowered from their experiences that changed them completely by the end of the films.
Searchlight Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Unfortunately, not all audience members saw a deeper meaning to Poor Things. Instead, much of the symbolism that Lanthimos injected into the film was lost. Many focused on the seemingly gratuitous intimate scenes and the feelings of misogyny versus feminism expressed on the screen, which left them unimpressed.
Others just thought that the film was laugh out loud funny due to the many memeable moments that came from the film.
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Be it the script, the cinematography, or the film being just a bit too existential, as much as critics enjoyed the film, as celebrated as it has been, there is no denying that the original intent of Poor Things was not explored clearly enough for audiences. Even with Stone’s remarkable portrayal of her character, the film never got on the right track for many.
Emma Stone Called ‘Poor Things’ The “Most Joyous Role” She Has Ever Played
Emma Stone loved the character, Bella Baxter so much, she was afraid she would not do justice to her
Despite Poor Things not hitting audiences the way it was supposed to, Stone thoroughly enjoyed working on the film. While Stone initially admitted it was one of the hardest projects she had ever worked on, she also called it the “most joyous role” taken to date.
“At the time I said it was my hardest role to date,” Stone explained of an interview she did while filming Poor Things, “which I kind of regret, because two years later, looking back at it, it was the most joyous role I’ve ever played.”
Searchlight Pictures, Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
But this role was one that Stone was also afraid to fail at. Not only because she did not want to disappoint Lanthimos but because Stone wanted to do Bella justice.
“I think because I had lived with her in my mind for so long and I was so deeply in love with Bella, it terrified me not to live up to her as a character,” Stone said. “I felt like I was failing her in the first week, and failing Yorgos. It was just difficult. I could talk to him about it, but I couldn’t talk to her about it.”
By working through how Bella did not live with “self-judgment or shame,” helped Stone hone the character. But that meant casting aside her own anxieties to make that happen.
“Part of the nature of anxiety is that you’re always watching yourself,” Stone stated.
She went on to explain, “In some ways — this is horrible to say — it’s a very selfish condition to have. Not to insult other people with anxiety — I still have it — but it’s because you’re thinking about yourself a lot. You’re thinking about, ‘What’s going to happen to me? What have I said? What have I done?’ Whereas Bella’s way of approaching the world, it’s just about experience. It’s just about how she feels about things.”
Stone will find out just how well she did with bringing Bella to life for audiences at the Oscars, but even with a win, Poor Things won’t be every viewer’s cup of tea.
