"Kinds of Kindness" - Not much to see of friendliness
Robert is a businessman who is so submissive to his boss that he is allowed to control every detail of his daily life - from the time he goes to bed to the time he sleeps in the morning with his wife. Daniel is a policeman who distrusts his wife, who returned after a shipwreck. He is convinced that she has been replaced by an impostor, and demands the supposed imposter to perform increasingly absurd self-mutilations as a sign of love. Andrew is a devoted follower of a sect, who receives an order from his leaders to find a prophesied girl who has the power to heal the dead.
On paper, these characters have little in common. In Giorgos Lanthimos' "Kinds of Kindness," the similarities between the three men become apparent, making it almost impossible not to consider them as one person - despite their different living conditions, hairstyles, and housing situations. It doesn't hurt, either, that all three men are portrayed by Jesse Plemons (36). But that's not the only similarity between Robert, Daniel, and Andrew.
Who is the ominous "R.M.F."?
"Kinds of Kindness," roughly translated to "Arts of Kindness," is divided into three narrative threads, each of which could stand alone as a short film but doesn't make much sense on its own - "The Death of R.M.F," "R.M.F. is Flying," and "R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich." All three episodes of this triptych-style anthology film show once again the typical human perversions and a need for love and acceptance that is strong enough to influence reality for Lanthimos.
Besides Plemons, there are other actresses and actors in each part in various roles: Oscar winner Emma Stone (36) plays Rita, who lets her life be controlled by her boss like Robert, Daniel's lost wife Liz, and Emily, who searches for the prophesied girl with Andrew. Willem Dafoe (68) portrays Robert and Rita's controlling boss Raymond, George, Liz's father, and Omi, the leader of the sex sect that Emily and Andrew work for.
Margaret Qualley (29) plays Raymond's wife Vivian, Martha, the wife of one of Daniel's police colleagues, as well as Ruth and Rebecca, the sought-after girl and her twin sister. In three roles, Hong Chau (45), Joe Alwyn (33), and Mamoudou Athie (36) appear. Hunter Schafer (25) is seen in a supporting role in the third part, as well as Merah Benoit (12). The Greek Yorgos Stefanakos portrays the ominous "R.M.F.," who connects the three narrative threads.
Conclusion
Giorgos Lanthimos (50) uses themes such as Surrealism, Cruelty, Perversion, Sex, and Cannibalism, as he did in earlier works. Despite a significant length of two hours and 45 minutes and its complexity, "Kinds of Kindness" is not boring.
Just like in his four-time Oscar-nominated film "Poor Things," which in comparison to "Kinds of Kindness" feels almost like a Disney film, Giorgos Lanthimos has once again brought Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe on board. Both shine - as well as Jesse Plemons - in their absurdly unmatched roles. Another parallel: the switch between black-and-white and color filming.
Despite the recurring themes in the three stories, a central idea or connecting theme proves frustratingly elusive. Individually, each part of the film feels like a "Black Mirror" episode, but one where it's unclear what the central theme is. Friendliness of any kind is conspicuously absent in all three parts.
- In addition to Jesse Plemons, the cast of "Kinds of Kindness" includes Oscar winner Emma Stone, who plays multiple roles, including Rita, a woman whose life is controlled by her boss like Robert.
- Willem Dafoe also appears in the film, taking on various characters such as Robert and Rita's controlling boss Raymond, George, the father of Daniel's lost wife Liz, and the leader of the sex sect that Emily and Andrew belong to.
- Margaret Qualley plays several roles in the film, including Raymond's wife Vivian, Martha, the wife of one of Daniel's police colleagues, and the sought-after girl Ruth, along with her twin sister Rebecca.
- Willem Dafoe and Emma Stone, both of whom have worked with Lanthimos before, deliver standout performances in their absurdly unmatched roles, as does Jesse Plemons, who portrays all three men at the center of the film's narrative.
- Interestingly, friendliness is noticeably absent in all three parts of "Kinds of Kindness," adding to the sense of surrealism and unease that pervades the film, particularly in the absence of kindness from the main characters such as Emma Stone's Rita and Willem Dafoe's Robet's boss.
