Cinephile No. 1,193 “Kinds of Kindness”

Recommendation: 3/5 Stars, STREAM

Plot: “A man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.” -IMBD

Review: When I decide to review a film, my trusty little black notebook accompanies me to the cinema. Throughout the film, I do my best to capture notes, impressions, feelings, reactions, and key moments I don’t want to forget in the story. For a standard feature, I can capture anywhere between 9 and 11 notes per film. For a film with a standard three act structure, this usually means 3 to 4 notes per act.  

For the latest film from writer/director, Yorgos Lanthimos, Kinds of Kindness, I captured 25 notes for myself. Given the complexity of his films, which include The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Poor Things, and Dogtooth, this is not the least bit surprising. What I didn’t expect was the uneasy feeling that would linger with me throughout most of his newest film.  

All Lanthimos films feel awkward and hyper-controlled; working within constrained limitations is their charm. Wes Anderson is my favorite director, so this sort of sandbox intrigues me. Now, if you are drawn to a director like this versus someone who does whatever the studio tells them, then read on, because this review gets more complex.  

Another thing all Lanthimos films do is walk a curious line between dark comedy and deep philosophical drama. For much of this film’s runtime, you will find yourself second guessing everything that pulls a dark chuckle out of your soul. What makes this film different from his prior work is the way it is structured. Instead of one cohesive story, Kinds of Kindness is instead structured as three short stories, with the same cast members playing different characters in each story. If you are like me, you will spend the entire film and the days that follow trying to find a through line or shared themes between each story.  

The first short film focuses heavily on Robert (Jesse Plemons) and his boss, Raymond (Willem Defoe). Robert is on a predetermined path set for him by his controlling boss. Every facet of his life is regimented by Raymond down to when he eats, how much he eats, and when he has sex with his life. In many ways, Raymond presents as a god-like character in the life of Robert.  

Following Raymond’s path has been fruitful for Robert, until he is asked to cross a morally compromising line. When he chooses to defy the wishes of Raymond, his life becomes undone and begins to spin out of control. The repercussions begin almost immediately. With it, Robert loses his job, his wife, and any prospects for the future.  

At his lowest point, with all hope lost, Robert meets Rita (Emma Stone), a woman on an eerily similar path of rejection and redemption. Where this story goes from here, I won’t dare spoil. Instead, I will say I believe this story is the strongest of the three.  

The second story focuses its attention on Daniel (Jesse Plemons), a man whose wife, Liz (Emma Stone), is missing at sea. Daniel is a broken-hearted cop who sees his wife’s face in the faces of strangers. Lost and aimless, his friends rally around him, providing the best support they can. Then, miraculously, Liz and her crew are discovered, shipwrecked on an island.  

At first glance, with some time, healing, and patience, it seems that life has all the potential to return to normal after such an ordeal. But Daniel is wary. This version of Liz doesn’t sit right with him. The doubt begins to grow so much that Daniel begins to pose questions to his best friend about the possibility that this version of Liz is not his actual wife. Instead, he suspects she is a body double.  

From these suspicions, this story devolves into a Hitchcockian style film that will leave you questioning the truth. Is Daniel on to something or is he psychologically falling apart? If this was where the story ended, I would have been more than satisfied. Unfortunately, it continues down an even weirder and darker path. It spirals into something odd and almost tortious. Again, I will not spoil the outcome of this story for you. I will just say I think this story is the weakest of the three.  

At this point in the movie, you will wrestle with the connection between the first two stories. As the third story begins to unfold, you will find yourself questioning everything you witnessed so far. You will be frantically searching for themes and driving yourself mad when one doesn’t easily surface.  

The third film begins in a morgue. Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemmons) are with a promising young woman who may possess potential to raise the dead. The morgue serves as a proving ground. It was at this point that my true irritation with this film dawned on me.  

Great stories don’t tell you what is happening. They show you. For me, this film does too much showing and not enough telling. I find these types of films frustrating. It is the same thing that bugs me about David Lynch’s Mulholland Drive. I find the overbearing puzzle distracting. When films like this finally do land, it never feels satisfactory. This is also my chief complaint about Kinds of Kindness. The puzzle is exciting for a while, until it isn’t.  

From the eerie morgue, Emily and Andrew return to their gated community led by Omi (Willem Defoe). Here, the film gave me weird sex cult vibes. I still can’t decide if this is a tool meant to distract us or show an unflinching devotion to Omi between Emily and Andrew. My advice here is not to get too distracted by moments spent in the commune. They aren’t the mission. The commune is where people on a mission go.  

So, what is the mission? Emily and Andrew are desperately searching for a woman, one half of a set of twins that must meet certain qualifications. Beyond the challenge of tracking this woman down, we learn Emily has a husband and daughter she walked away from to fulfill this mission. After a chance encounter, she cannot resist the urge to step back into their lives. This puts Emily in a dangerous situation, where the potential for contamination and exile from the community hangs in the balance like a thick fog.  

Predictably, this is what happens. Still, Emily continues her search, hoping it will bring her back into the good graces of her community. One last time, this is another ending I will not spoil. Instead, I will encourage you to hold on tightly, because the landing is a bumpy ride.  

As the credits began to crawl up the screen and the house lights turned on, I found myself dumbfounded. On the long walk back to my car, I kept wrestling with the experience searching for meaning. After several blocks, it dawned on me that the common themes were rejection and rebirth. As I replayed the story one more time, it all began to make sense to me. Satisfied, I then had to ask myself the most important question any film critic can ask themselves. Did I enjoy the journey enough to recommend it to others? My answer? Sure, but not a full-throated endorsement. Instead, I think this is a film you should spend some time with, for no other reason than it deserves to be debated with other lovers of cinema. Beyond that, I didn’t find a lot to enjoy.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan