Kinds of Kindness

This latest effort from the quirky imagination of Yorgos Lanthimos employs the services of Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons and Willem Dafoe in varying roles across three short stories that question just about every aspect of human behaviour and attitudes. The first (my favourite) sees Plemons as "Robert". He is an outwardly professional man who lives with is wife "Sarah" (Hong Chau) and works for "Raymond" (Dafoe). He has just recovered from a very slight car accident - and on meeting with his boss we discover a little more of just what that was about and of the somewhat curious nature, and dependencies, of their relationship. The second didn't engage with me so well as cop Plemons is "Daniel" struggling to deal with the loss of his wife "Liz" at sea. When she turns up somewhat unexpectedly, she appears completely different somehow and some fairly ghastly sacrifices are soon necessary before anyone can see any light at the end of this emotional maelstrom of a tunnel. Finally, the two share the leads more looking for the ideal candidate for a cult run by "Omi" (Dafoe). Candidate for what? Well so long as she is the right weight and her breasts are equidistant from each other and her navel, then it'd doesn't seem to matter... Thing is, she has an estranged husband (Joe Alwyn) and a daughter who are keen to have her back - and he is prepared to use some fairly ghastly methods to see she is "contaminated". The scenarios are quite hard to describe. They are surreal in places, brutal in others - but I found rarely entertaining. We are presented with the façades of characterisations but it's the questions their escapades pose to us that is more interesting. What might we do to satiate our cravings for love, affection and a sense of feeling needed? How easily led we can be. The things a person will do for a tennis racket smashed by John McEnroe in 1984! It's not that it blurs lines of sexuality. There aren't any. It's sexually fluid and frequently presents us with an environment where people behave according to instinct and not societal morals. Dafoe takes the acting plaudits for me, his ownership of his roles is unnervingly creepy at times. Stone, though, seems to be resurrecting her "Pretty Little Things" (2023) style of characteristic (lots of racing around taking short steps) and Plemons is adequate enough, but somewhat just a little too anodyne with roles that ought to have taken us more by the scruff of the neck. It also didn't really resonate with me as a comedy either. I could see where the humourous elements were supposed to be but I prefer my humour more subtle - these punches just didn't land well enough. It's a long old watch, and though at times I did enjoy it, I doubt I'd bother again.

I’m going to say up front that this is a film I’m probably going to be processing for quite some time. The latest offering from writer-director Yorgos Lanthimos – best known for films like “The Lobster” (2015), “The Favourite” (2018) and “Poor Things” (2023) – is as much a puzzle as anything else. Told in three loosely interlaced stories with mostly the same cast members playing different roles in each, the film primarily deals in explorations of control and abuse examined from various angles. The individual stories plumb an array of additional subjects, including life, death, sanity, religion, cult membership, sexuality, dreams, surreality and self-indulgence, among others, most of which are tinged with exceedingly dark, macabre, cynical, satirical humor (evident even in its title) very much in the same vein as one of the filmmaker’s other, more troubling releases, “The Killing of a Sacred Deer” (2017). Unlike that mess of a picture, though, “Kinds of Kindness” is somewhat more coherently structured, both in its individual segments and overall, even though the finished product still has an overly cryptic eccentricity that could have benefitted from better delineated refinement. To be sure, “Kindness” has its strong points, such as its sardonic humor that may often have you giggling at things that you probably think you shouldn’t be laughing at. It also has strong performances from many of Lanthimos’s regulars, including Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe and Margaret Qualley, along with newcomers Hong Chau and Jesse Plemons, winner of the Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award (though I can’t help but wonder what effect this film may have on the future of their careers, talent notwithstanding). And, much to my surprise, the pacing is fairly well sustained for a movie with a 2:45:00 runtime, probably because it holds viewer attention well, leaving audiences perpetually wondering where each of the vignettes is going next. On the downside, however, its graphic imagery, explicit sexuality, extreme violence and other questionable story elements may easily turn off some members (myself included at times), particularly when they push the limits of acceptability (sensitive viewers take note, especially animal lovers). So the bottom line questions here would be, “Did I like it?” and “Would I recommend it?” Well, that depends on how open one is to edgy content that clearly pushes the envelope. To be honest, there are things about this offering that I truly liked, but, then, my tastes tend to be more open-ended than those of many more conventional moviegoers. Because of that, however, this may consequently be seen as the kind of picture that many of those same audience members might find unduly troubling and offensive, readily labeling it as such and claiming that this is the sort of movie that gives many reviewers a bad name (and they probably wouldn’t be entirely wrong in saying that). Lanthimos has certainly pushed limits in many of his previous works, such as “Poor Things,” “The Lobster” and “The Favourite,” but the edginess of those releases had a playful, warmer, more whimsical feel to them than this outing, which is much more akin to the disturbing shadowiness of a film like “Sacred Deer.” Keep all of the foregoing in mind if you’re contemplating a screening of this one. And, in any event, if you come away from it outraged, disappointed or confused, don’t say you weren’t warned.

I have only walked out on one other film in my life. It was warranted then and warranted when I walked out on Kinds of Kindness. I enjoyed Yorgos Lanthimos's previous film, Poor Things, also starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. In my opinion, that film is a shining star in his filmography. Before that, I found most of his work to be beautiful and intriguing in premise but ultimately very dull. Kinds of Kindness is not just dull but completely boring with no real intrigue. The movie is divided into three separate stories, all revolving around the initials 'R.M.F', which are used by many of the cast playing multiple characters. This narrative structure, intended to interweave various tales of absurd kindness and humanity, fails to deliver a cohesive or engaging storyline. The disjointed nature of these stories makes it difficult to form any emotional connection or investment in the characters' journeys. Although I found all of the characters in this film just as boring as the movie overall, the ensemble cast does their best to bring distinctiveness to their roles. Each character played by the talented actors has their own nuances, highlighting their skill despite the weak material. The biggest credit goes to the location scouts and art departments for providing beautiful scenery to an otherwise mundane movie. The visual composition of the film is stunning, with carefully chosen settings that enhance the aesthetic appeal. I did return to finish the film a couple of days later so I could properly review it. Unfortunately, this did not change my initial impression. The film remained an exercise in tedium, with no scenes or moments that redeemed its slow pace and uninspired plot. Even the most beautifully shot scenes couldn’t hold my interest for long. The disjointed narrative and the lack of engaging content made it a struggle to sit through the entire film.

Quite the thing! I really enjoyed <em>'Kinds of Kindness'</em>. I'm also someone who loved <em>'Poor Things'</em> from these folk, so I guess me also liking this isn't any sort of surprise. It is a truly bizarre movie and I can see many disliking it, a thought supported by the fact that in a cinema with around 10 others alongside me, 3 left before the conclusion; 1 left at the end of chapter one, then a group of 2 left at the end of chapter two. I'm personally absolutely cool with absurdity if the filmmakers truly commit to it, otherwise what's the point? Yorgos Lanthimos & Co. evidently did just that and I was thoroughly entertained across the entire run time, which is impressive given it lasts for almost three hours; it flew by for me. I'm already a big fan of those onscreen so didn't need much convincing to see them act again, and I'm glad I did because all those acting here are great. Jesse Plemons is the standout in my eyes, what a terrific showing from that man - such a top actor! Emma Stone is, obviously, excellent as well, as is the awesome Willem Dafoe. Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau and Mamoudou Athie merit praise too. Gotta get <em>'The Favourite'</em> watched at some point, all the while getting set for <em>'Bugonia'</em> - Stone x Lanthimos is where it's at!

“I mostly loved it, but I kinda hated it” has pretty much become my mantra with the filmography of Yorgos Lanthimos, a writer/director whom most moviegoers will either loathe or adore. There are those of us who are firm fence sitters with his tales of absurdism and cruelty (although I skew towards the yay! versus the nay!), and it’s honestly a toss-up whether or not you’ll enjoy his latest bizarro project, “Kinds of Kindness.” Written as a triptych fable that weaves together three distinct narratives, the film has layers upon layers of hefty, rich themes that are as thought-provoking as they are (at least on the surface) head-scratching. The first is a story of a man who has no choice in his life path, but is finally trying to stand up and take control of the direction his existence has been heading. The second is a totally weird tale of a policeman whose wife has gone missing at sea, but he becomes convinced that a doppelganger of her has returned home, where he delights in torturing her mercilessly. The final story is about a spiritual cult member who is determined to find a mysterious woman with a special ability who can lead the group to their destiny. It’s better to go in knowing as little as possible about the narrative, because the memorable surprises and general “WTF?” moments are also the film’s most successful. As is the case with most of his former projects, Lanthimos once again gravitates towards the surreal, with unsettling stories that explore themes like fate, identity, free will, authority, power dynamics, and the complexities of human connection. It’s macabre and funny; dramatic and disturbing. The contemporary stories interconnect with a subtlety that’s incredibly well done through shared themes and recurring motifs, and the film blurs the line between dreamlike fantasy and harsh reality. Further connecting the three stories together and keeping with coherent themes, Lanthimos keeps his cast small, utilizing the same actors (including Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Mamoudou Athie, Margaret Qualley, and Hong Chau) in different roles in each of the fables. Very few directors working today can consistently draw out exceptional performances from their actors, but Lanthimos is one of the true greats. Everyone is top-of-their-game terrific, with a jaw-dropping, standout turn from the limitlessly versatile (and immensely talented) Plemons. Obviously, “Kinds of Kindness” isn’t a film that will appeal to everyone. With its existential musings, experimental narratives, abstract storytelling, and deliberate pacing, Lanthimos certainly does not cater to mainstream tastes. But the small segment of movie lovers at which this visionary project is aimed will be up to the challenge (and of course, absolutely delighted). By: Louisa Moore / SCREEN ZEALOTS