Directed By Yorgos Lanthimos

Starring – Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe

The Plot – A triptych fable, following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman determined to find a specific someone with a special ability, who is destined to become a prodigious spiritual leader.

Rated R for strong/disturbing violent content, strong sexual content, full nudity and adult language.

KINDS OF KINDNESS | Official Trailer | Searchlight Pictures (youtube.com)

POSITIVES

Mere months after challenging conventions with an Oscars darling, in ‘Poor Things’, Lanthimos follows up those efforts with his most raw and arguably unapologetic experience to date, all the while reuniting with his original writing partner, Ethimis Filippou, who helped make him a household name with breakthrough favorites like ‘Dogtooth’, ‘The Lobster’, and ‘The Killing of a Sacred Deer. As expected, this makes ‘Kinds of Kindness’ a devilishly dark and especially divisive film that will undoubtedly cater to fans of his distinct style, while further alienating those opposed to his bizarre orchestrations of subliminal sociological issues. As to where those films relied heavily on interpretation and even speculation, ‘Kinds of Kindness’ is coherently straight forwards, as thematically the film and its spelled out title refer to the toxic forms of showing affection for loved ones, which is realized in three loosely connected stories, each involving characters abiding by someone else’s expectations. While structuring an anthology narrative always come with the kind of problems that this film is unfortunately not free from, each of them vary so sharply diverse in everything from tone to exploration that makes this feel like a triple feature of Lanthimos for the price of one, all with the underlining definitive elements of unpredictability among wild card characters that make his films such gripping engagements for those appreciative of fearless auteurs conveying such a distinct vision. For that vision, Lanthimos does trade in many of the fish-eye lens captures and sharp pans that became nearly a parody of itself during the most vibrantly expensive presentation, for ‘Poor Things’, but that doesn’t mean he sacrifices style completely, instead indulging upon contemporary materialism among skyscraper buildings, fast cars, and lavish lifestyles that all convey a materialistic dependency among its characters. Because the film feels more focused on the imagery it’s shooting instead of the craft that cinematographer and longtime Lanthimos collaborator Robbie Ryan elicits, it allows focus to be maintained in the depths of the storytelling to a gritty and often unforgiving world depicted in the film, proving it to be Lanthimos’ most raw and unpolished presentation since ‘Dogtooth’, which puts aside the notion that fame and studio approval have obscured the artist from within, who still aches to be let off of his leash. The film also has the same consistencies that I’ve come to expect from Lanthimos’ most distinguished voice and personality, with the cynical side within him serving as the engine that drives these complex and anything-but-human stories. Particularly appreciated, the wit of Lanthimos and Filippou once again tap into some pretty darkly depraved corridors that will inevitably only cater to fans of twisted humor, with abruptly consequential deliveries that almost challenge audiences to laugh in a starkly silent auditorium struck by jaw-dropping audacity. Like the best Lanthimos films, the experience clings to every inch of its coveted R-rating, with adult experiences that only further enhance the notion that his cast of familiar faces are willing to commit themselves to anything the visionary calls for, all with his unique steering of their various deliveries that once more could be easily interpreted as bad acting, but in reality further exemplify the lack of humanity that persist from so many characters that don’t fit into the conventional molds of good or evil people. On that front, the intentionally lacking chemistry of the ensemble keeps the many interactions chilled with unsuspecting intentions, creating a compelling ambiguity that makes any of their actions difficult to foresee in a film where quite literally anything can and often does feel possible, challenging this exceptional ensemble to dig deeper into many against-type turns that they continuously rise to the occasion for. The biggest of those triumphs is easily Plemons, who as three emotionally and psychologically varying characters across three stories frequently feels like the shape-shifting chameleon who constantly feels like the outcast in the depicted worlds, all with Jesse’s coldly calculating deliveries that often spawn goosebumps to the interpretation of the audience. Likewise, Stone and Dafoe are once again integral ingredients to the concoction that Lanthimos is continuously stirring, with a dark edginess to the former that challenges her physically as much as it does mentally, and the latter having the time of his life while honing these larger than life personalities that are often the master being served to the aforementioned toxic affection. Last but not least, Jerskin Fendrix fully completes the transformation from spirited extra to master composer, imbedding the film’s many scenes and sequences with an ominous cloud of inevitability that continuously hangs over the questionable intentions of these characters. Combining rhythmic hymns with unorthodox wind instruments, the compositions remarkably tap into the uncertainty and anxieties of many stuffy interactions, transforming the film audibly into what feels like a horror movie, and in some sorts a foretelling reality with what eventually surfaces in the depths of the scintillating second story.

NEGATIVES

While I can thankfully attest to Lanthimos keeping his streak going, at least in the eye of this appreciative beholder, the growing pains of its anthology structure does result in this film feeling every inch of its 2 hours and 45-minute run time, particularly with unstoppable self-indulgence from Yorgos that definitely could’ve used a tighter edit. This is felt most noticeably during the third and final story of the film, with not only the longest time allowance between the trio of stories, but also a sloppy sequencing of events that leaves the storytelling feeling a bit disjointed. I certainly abide by the notion that each of these stories added something uniquely vital to the varying shades of toxic affection that the material caters to, the third of these instances involves the longest set-up before the momentum starts to roll, resulting in strained pacing that did have me checking my watch for the first and only time throughout the experience. In addition, with this structure, the payoffs between the thirds are quite unremarkable, which will inevitably only feed into the bashing from Lanthimos’ detractors, who continue to exert that his films end unceremoniously. While I coherently interpret that the film is trying to convey that these people and their toxic affinity for one another never results in satisfaction for their materialistic impulses, it doesn’t exactly do the audience a service by instilling an overwhelming exclamation point to the completion of each unique arc, in turn abruptly halting the garnered momentum for the next section, which will have audiences on their guards after failing to be paid off properly after the first story. Because the film’s divided segments have very little connective tissue between them, other than a throwaway background set of initials that Lanthimos states represent quite literally anything, the audience is essentially preparing for two abrupt reset buttons after 50-minute builds and very little gratification between them, with characters who are a bit of a challenge to feel invested in, if you miss the intention of their moral ambiguity.

OVERALL
‘Kinds of Kindness’ isn’t quite the richly budgeted and thought-provoking follow-up to ‘Poor Things’ that Lanthimos’ audience was candidly expecting, but it is every bit the perversive and cynical exploit on the need for love and belonging that he embraces with never-flinching absurdism. With fearlessly versatile performances, a gritty-but-picturesque presentation, and an unapologetic commitment to its triptych structure, the film serves as an enthralling reminder to the starving artist inside of Yorgos that still beats, despite all of the academy acclaim, with a finished quality that will simultaneously reinforce his admirers, while further dividing his detractors.

My Grade: 7/10 or B-