InkBlog

Emma Stone could be about to earn her second Academy Award if the Oscar buzz surrounding her latest film, Poor Things, is to be believed.

The Yorgos Lanthimos-directed movie has received widespread critical acclaim following its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival in September.

In particular, the 34-year-old actress has been praised for her hilariously bold and fearless sex scenes in the movie, which is based on Alasdair Gray's novel of the same name. In the film, unorthodox scientist Dr. Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) brings Bella Baxter (Emma Stone) back to life by implanting her unborn child's brain into her head, meaning that she's an infant living in the body of an adult.

Soon after, she runs off on a whirlwind adventure across the globe, where she experiences many firsts regarding equality and liberation, including discovering sex for the first time.

So, what is this Oscar buzz, who else is in the cast, and when will Poor Things be released in the UK? Here's everything you need to know.

What is the plot of Poor Things?

The film tells the tale of Bella Baxter (Stone), a young woman who is brought back to life by a rather unorthodox scientist (Dafoe). Eager to experience the world, Baxter runs off with lawyer Duncan Wedderburn (Mark Ruffalo) and goes on adventure spanning continents.

Who's in the cast of Poor Things?

Emma Stone leads the Poor Things cast as the main character Bella Baxter, a woman who is brought back to life after a scientist implants the brain of her unborn child into her head.

Stone is also a producer on the film, which includes Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo and Ramy Youssef among its other cast members.

What have critics said about the film?

The film went down a treat with critics upon its premiere, with many dubbing it "one of the best films of the year". Emma was also singled out for her performance, with Vulture stating of Emma's intimate scene: "Bella's desire — for men, for dramatic dancing, for pastel de nata, and eventually, for intellectual stimulation and agency — drives the film.

"She reveals herself to be one of cinema's horniest legends, f***ing her way across the European seaboard. Stone's performance matches that fearlessness; she goes for broke here, cumming loudly, her body and face hitting every note of the human sexual experience — thrill, disappointment, disgust, horror, intrigue."

Entertainment Weekly added: "Bella is a cinematic heroine for the ages, and Poor Things is a unique piece of artistry. With Yorgos Lanthimos behind the camera, it's not hard to find it fascinating to be alive."

The Independent added that: "Stone gives surely the boldest performance of her career so far, in a role that puts upon her heavy physical and psychological demands."

Impressively, the film holds a near-perfect 95 per cent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

What about those sex scenes?

Variety reported that some sex scenes in the film were so explicit that audience members quickly bolted to exit the cinema when they came on. However, the movie culminated in an eight-minute-long standing ovation for the director, Yorgos. Emma and the rest of the cast did not attend due to the SAG-AFTRA strike that was taking place at the time.

Yorgos was also quizzed about the sex scenes at a press conference, to which he said: "First of all, sex is an intrinsic part of the novel itself, [and Bella's] freedom about everything including sexuality.

"Secondly, it was very important for me to not make a film that would be prudish, because that would be like completely betraying the main character. We had to be confident Emma had to have no shame about her body, nudity, engaging in those scenes, and she understood that right away."

Yorgos also revealed that he had hired on-set intimacy coordinator Elle McAlpine, who made "everything much easier for everyone".

Emma and Yorgos' professional working relationship goes back to 2018 when the actress acted in his period drama The Favourite, for which she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars.

Is there a trailer for Poor Things?

Yes! The official trailer was released earlier this year and features Stone, Dafoe and Ruffalo pictured in both black and white and colour video. Watch it in its entirety below:

When is the release date of Poor Things?

Poor Things will be released in the UK on 12 January 2024.

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