Greek Director Yorgos Lanthimos' hilariously wild and wacky comedy film won the Golden Lion at Venice's prestigious international film festival. The film, long expected to win or take home many awards that evening, has been met with rave reviews and hilarity. Indiewire described the film as "hysterically funny and the raunchiest movie you'll likely see all year."
Poor Things is a wild and irreverent film based on Alasdair Gray's 1992 novel and tells the story of Bella Baxter, played by Emma Stone, given a second chance at life by the miracle work of a kooky scientist. Critics have described her as a child's mind in an adult's body, which is always a good laugh. Not only that, but Bella's character reminded fans of Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
In his acceptance speech, Yorgos quickly thanked Emma for her commitment to the film. "Above all, this film is the central character of Isabella Baxter, this incredible creature, and she wouldn't exist without Emma Stone, another incredible creature. This film is her, in front and behind the camera." With a debuted 98% from 46 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is being universally praised, as is Emma's acting. IGN wrote, "What makes Poor Things such a knee-slapper, despite the dourness at its core, is Stone's off-the-wall performance."
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Sadly, Emma could not be in attendance due to the ongoing Actor's strikes against unfair wages and the threat of potential AI use in film and TV. As a part of their union contract, actors can only promote films with special approval. While Emma had not been given permission, Jessica Chastain was granted attendance at the Venice Film Festival because the movie she was representing, Memory, abided by the terms of SAG Aftra's demands. Adam Driver, who also attended the Ferrari international premiere in Venice, could participate for the same reasons. He told the press following the screening, "I'm very happy to be here to support this movie, but also, I'm very proud to be here, to be a visual representation of a movie that's not a part of the AMPTP."
