With all the rain this winter Jadyne and I made it to four movies—Origin, Zone of Interest, American Fiction, and on Saturday, Poor Things. Emma Stone was beyond good. She was a worthy Oscar winner for Best Actress. And yes, it was surreal. Her portrayal of Bella and the transformation she went through from beginning to end was exhausting, a real tour de force for an actress.
And even though I liked the movie it made me a bit uncomfortable, especially during the whoring scenes in Paris. I think it bordered on pornographic. I tried to imagine how much Emma had to put away of who she (Emma) was as a person to become Bella. I know that’s the nature of the job. It still left me uncomfortable.
I reacted to City Lights as I used to remember responding to movies from years ago. Laughter, surprise, empathy, and a host of other emotions that Chaplin’s brilliance was able to pull off. And I think that that’s where the genius lies—making the audience feel real emotions. I “appreciated” Poor Things. I loved City Lights.