Emma Stone gives a career-best performance in Poor Things, which is saying something for someone who already has an Academy Award (“City of Stars”/“I’m Just Ken” reunion mashup at the Oscars?). The Yorgos Lanthimos film stars the actress as Bella Baxter, a victim of suicide who is brought back to life by a mad scientist, played by Willem Dafoe. Bella is an adult with the brain of an unborn child, and as her mind develops, so, too, does her interest in sex.
During a recent interview with BBC Radio 4 host Samira Ahmed (via CNN), Stone was asked about the “quite graphic” sex scenes in Poor Things.
“So much of this was about being true to Bella’s experience,” she replied. “[Sex] is obviously a huge part of her experience and her growth, as it is, I think, for most people in life. But I see it as just one aspect of many to her – her discovery of food or philosophy, travel, and dance. Sex is another aspect.”
Stone called it “extremely important” for Bella to be “completely free and without shame about her body. She doesn’t know to be embarrassed by these things or to cover things up or not dive into the full experience when it comes to anything. So for the camera to sort of shy away from that, or to say like, ‘OK, well, we’ll just cut all of this out because our society functions in a particular way,’ it felt like a lack of being honest about who Bella is.”
She added, “I’m not a person that just wants to be naked all the time, but I am someone who wants to honor the character as fully as I possibly can.”
Poor Things is expected to be nominated in numerous categories at the 2024 Oscars. The nominations will be announced on Tuesday, January 23.
(Via CNN)