Joey Magidson
Yorgos Lanthimos thinks like no other person in the industry. That has led to not just several productions that showcase his cast in a very unique manner, but also films that defy all manner of cinematic conventions. With Kinds of Kindness, Lanthimos is both trying something new and going back to his roots. It may sound like an iffy proposition, but it’s a wild movie with a ton to offer an adventurous audience.
Kinds of Kindness is pure unfiltered Lanthimos. For a few folks, that might test their patience, but for anyone who has previously gone along for rides with him, this is actually a wild amount of fun. Dark, disturbing, yet also ridiculously enjoyable, he has no fucks to give and is all the better for it. If you go along with it and have a dark sense of humor, his coldness yet silliness becomes a virtue and rewards your time. So much of the picture is left up to you to interpret, which ends up being part of the fun.
In the first of three segments, entitled “The Death of R.M.F,” we observe the structured life of Robert (Jesse Plemons). He has a lovely home and a loving wife in Sarah (Hong Chau), but something is off. Soon, we realize that his boss Raymond (Willem Dafoe) is controlling every aspect of his life, down to the most minute details. When Robert refuses Raymond for the first time, Raymond and his wife Vivian (Margaret Qualley) end the arrangement, sending Robert spiraling. A chance encounter with Rita (Emma Stone) is the breaking point.
The second one, called “R.M.F. is Flying,” has police officer Daniel (Plemons) struggling with the disappearance of his wife Liz (Stone). His partner Neil (Mamoudou Athie) and his wife Martha (Qualley) try to spend time with him, but he’s a wreck. Then, Liz is rescued and returned to him. However, he almost immediately begins to suspect that this is not his wife, putting her through a series of increasingly harsh tests of loyalty.
Finally, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” depicts Emily (Stone) and Andrew (Plemons) as followers of a cult with a very specific goal in mind. Under orders from Omi (Dafoe) and Aka (Chau), they must keep pure of all fluids from others, all while searching for someone with the power to raise the dead.
The cast is having an absolute ball submitting themselves to Lanthimos’ will. Emma Stone is an old hand at this by now and really comes alive as the lead of the third segment. Jesse Plemons is best in show and the star of the first two, displaying incredible range. A Lanthimos veteran like Willem Dafoe or Margaret Qualley are just having fun being a part of the ensemble and it shows. They have moments to shine, but are in support more often than not. Mamoudou Athie and Hong Chau are more in the background, but the former is a part of one of the wildest sequences (involving a home movie) you’ll see this year. The small cast also includes Joe Alwyn in all three segments, Yorgos Stefanakos as the mysterious R.M.F. throughout, and Hunter Schafer in the final segment.
Filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos is indulging in all of his favorite whims, but instead of it feeling like a kid getting to eat too much ice cream, it’s the audience who feels like they’re getting treats. Co-writing with Efthimis Filippou again, Lanthimos is having a blast. His direction allows the actors to really dine out on the strange characters, while he allows the audience to be puzzled, yet never confused. It’s vintage Yorgos. Now, at 164 minutes, it’s a bit of an ask, and the first of the three segments is the best, but you’re consistently compelled. The biggest compliment I can give him is that each of the three could have been their own films. Usually with a work like this, one might be a highlight, but there’s segments that just feel too thin. Here, I’d have seen any of them as his latest feature. That’s a real feather in this movie’s hat.
Awards-wise, this does seem too weird for the Academy, even given the auteur’s recent success, but I do think Jesse Plemons could be a play in Best Supporting Actor. Category placement is always hard to figure out, so maybe Searchlight will determine he gets a run in Best Actor, but Supporting Actor would probably be the way to go. If Oscar really does love Lanthimos now, look out for a Best Original Screenplay citation as well, or maybe even Emma Stone in Best Actress/Best Supporting Actress. At best, right now at least, the flick is no more than an X factor, quality aside.
Kinds of Kindness is pretty damn weird, once again, but it’s also an incredible amount of dark fun if you’re in that sort of a mood. You can argue that Yorgos Lanthimos has never been this misanthropic before, but he’s also never been attempting something this offbeat before, which is saying something. As long as you’re on his wavelength, you’re in for a pitch-black comedy treat.
SCORE: ★★★1/2
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