Movie Man Darian Watching All Night Long

 Kinds Of Kindness 

This film really had me stunned after walking out of the screening! Now to be fair I have been watching Yorgos Lanthimos’s films ever since 2015’s The Lobster and so I had a idea it was going to be another quirky somewhat strange original compelling story which It is but he make some creative choices in this film that amazed me and had my jaw on the floor at some parts. Now I went into this film with knowing very little as I wanted to be surprised as over the years This filmmaker has been crafting some of the most compelling original well thought out films of the year and I like to be totally surprised with what ride he will take audiences on. Aside from that 40 second teaser that went all over the internet that is all I knew about the film which I think also made me enjoy the experience of seeing this film even more as I had no ideas what the plot was whatsoever. So after seeing the film I’m glad I went in knowing as little as possible as this kind of viewing experience is best when you know as little as possible as the story is wild it’s filled with cults, cannibalism, toxic obedience, and loosing yourself in order to feel accepted by a person. These are heavy themes that are shown in at times brutally eye opening ways that shocked me. Kinds of Kindness is truly one of the most artistically powerful and stunning films I’ve seen this year. 

This film is going to be a film you either love or hate and I’ll say why. Now when Yorgos came out with Poor things last year a lot of people were introduced to the world he’s created as that in many ways was the first film that hundreds of people saw due to the attention it was getting but also because of the large cast attached to it. Back in 2018 yes the favourite really got people to look out for his next projects but in my opinion Poor Things now has made him a name people are going to run to theatres to go see his latest film due to how critically successful that film was. Now the reason I think quite a lot of people may be turned off at this story he’s painting for the audience is because some people may expect since they saw Poor Things it’s going to be just like that film all over again. Now he started off in the industry with his very original, visually striking and narratively out of the box stories that to a lot of people may seem strange but that’s always been his way of storytelling. What is great about this film is he’s gained more popularity but he hasn’t lost track of the signature style of his that made him popular to begin with so this film feels very much like his earlier stuff in his career. And to someone who’s only seen Poor Things their automatically not going to understand why he’s making the creative choices he’s made for this film as it’s very odd to some people but he’s never changed who he is creatively he’s only just gotten more popular and he refuses to change for mainstream audiences he’ll still remain that indie filmmaker who has a eye for very unique ways of storytelling. And so this film delves into very Interesting territory as it covers the toxic obsession of being wanted either by a person or belonging to something they think is worth dedicating their whole life too. It’s about emotional abuse disguised as love and that is shown in many layers. The film goes to the extreme lengths of how that would be shown in ways of murder, cannibalism and showing the intense amount of moral abandonment one would do in order to feel loved. It’s brilliantly brought to the screen in heartbreaking ways but it never stops feeling intriguing as the film is broken down into 3 separate stories that never overlap. It’s presented in a way of an anthology story having the main cast all playing 3 separate characters in different storylines and each one being unlike the other and the only consistent theme that is woven through all three is toxic approval and how far your willing to go to get it. And the film shows in what many may feel is over long and some may even say parts could have been cut down for the runtime but I disagree I feel the film benefits from a lengthier runtime. The film delves greatly into its themes in a stylistic way that never feels too big but keeps its roots in the obscure world that Yorgos has painted for the viewer. In many ways I feel this film is actually his most narratively boldest film he’s done which is also why so many people are so divided on this film. He takes a big swing with the story and I feel it pays off in many ways as it’s unlike anything he’s done and it feels very much like his earlier  work while finding new avenues to explore as a filmmaker that he hasn’t done yet.

Secondly, The performances in the film are truly amazing! The actors put together for this film is incredible as you have Willem Dafoe, Emma stone, Jesse Plemons, Margret Qualley all giving astonishing performances and also playing 3 separate characters and melding such interesting personalities in all 3 of those stories. Now the biggest performance in the film that really made a big impression on me was Jesse Plemons he has had quite the year with his scene stealing turn In one singular scene of Civil War and now playing the lead of this film in a film that truly shows his amazing abilities as an actor on full display. Each character he plays feels so out of their element and you can see a quality of desperation in all of those characters he plays while at the same time giving them all qualities that make them unique in their own way. He shows the sheer sadness in his heart of not liking being alone, the sense of not knowing who his lover is and then being dedicated to a idea within a faith based group not of religion but of a way of living with how to better themselves within intimacy. Now Plemons is in the film the most when it comes to the cast he is onscreen for most of the film and he makes the most of it truly chewing up the scenery with such force and powerful dedication to the character he is playing you cannot look away. It is among one of his strongest performances he has ever given getting to really play around with emotional aspects of his heart within 3 different characters and show such different elements of his ability to bring them to life in such a engaging way. Then you have Emma Stone who also gives a solid performance but in my opinion she really shines in act 3 of the film as that plot line is mostly driven towards her character not saying her work in the first two parts isn’t as good its just she has more to do with her character in the final part of the film. She brings this very emotional dry but also vulnerable side to her that is always onscreen as she can be so subtle with expressing her feelings and at the same time we see why she is so driven to want to belong to this group and in the beginning we see how well planned she is and does it like clockwork. But once something wrong happens we see that thirst of being needed kick in her head and she goes into a total need of approval and that panic in her eyes and through her voice is greatly brought to the screen she makes her characters over the course of this very unique narrative truly stand out as a truly special performance. Everyone else all gave terrific performances but it is Jesse and Emma that steal the show in terms of performance but it can’t be ignored Willem Dafoe also gives a very strong supporting turn in this film as well. Everyone from top to bottom all gave amazing performances. 

Lastly, Kinds Of Kindness is one of the most narratively bold films I have seen by any filmmaker this year! Yorgos Lanthimos goes back to his quirky indie roots that made him a household name within the industry. He takes on a very bold creative risk with this film and I think it worked beautifully it is a film about how far one is willing to go to belong to someone and what toxic love in the most intense form would look like and having it be broken down in a series of 3 separate stories I think was such a brilliant idea. If your a fan of his earlier work with films like the Lobster, Dogtooth you will love this film the performances from the entire cast are remarkable all rise up to the occasion to bring all these 3 separate characters to life with such burning passion and making them all so fun. Plemons truly gives one of his finest hours of an actor with his brilliant leading turn in this film. Yorgos shows sex cults, cannibalism and Murder it packs a lot into this almost 3 hour film that truly I found to be very effective and asks questions to the audience that will make them talk long after the film is over and deconstruct the messages of what this film is trying to tell them. Kinds Of Kindness is a film that will definitely divide people due to its creative direction but I find it’s one of the most compelling original films I’ve seen this year. 

This film is an anthology film that takes on 3 separate stories that all revolve around toxic relationships and the need to belong to a system or person and show their dedication to them in the most intense way possible. 

Rated R :  Strong Sexual Content|Language|Full Nudity|Strong Violent Content

Jesse Plemons : Plemons plays three characters all with one quality woven in all 3 which is awkward desperation. Now Plemons has played a lot of side characters in films and supporting roles but to finally see him centre stage in this film is really special as we the audience haven’t seen him be the top billed in a ensemble piece like this before. His character though in the first story is truly in my opinion the best character he plays out of all 3 because the sheer depths of attachment this man has to make sure he is not alone is insane. Plemons shows this character that is willing to sacrifice so much of his soul in order to feel loved by one man. When his wife sees who her husband really is his life starts to spiral and not for the better we see him abandon his moral ethics in order to do whatever it takes to not be lonely which comes off incredibly sad as he is loosing his soul in order to feel like he belongs. Plemons Shows the anxiety eating this man Alive slowly as in the beginning he has such a grasp on what he is doing and everything is calculated and perfectly done within his day its when his boss asks him to do something unspeakable and he refuses to follow through on that task everything gets thrown into utter chaos. Plemons brings that charming but also socially awkward quality to him that also has a sprinkle of insanity and he does that part of the character in such a smart and subtle way it never feels like he knows he is so emotionally deaf to the people around him as to him what his actions he thinks is entirely normal. When his source of happiness is thrown into chaos his mind goes haywire and starts acting in ways he never would of otherwise and he starts finding ways to seek the approval of the man he let down in any way possible so he can regain his stability once again. Plemons Shows brilliantly the cracks that is happening over the course of the story within this man’s sanity and how he is constantly is being used and tested in order to have joy In his life and Jesse is able to bring that sheer exhausting hunger for love through his eyes and voice. When he is rejected after refusing to do the job he looks like a kid wanting approval from a parent to be loved and it comes off sad In the beginning as you can see he feels he really screwed up and then that sadness snowballs into creepy obsession and he shows that progression of those stages that he goes through emotionally in his performance in such a thrilling way you cannot look away from. Plemons shows this man stretching himself thin in order to be look at in any way and its done in such a emotional hurricane of performance that he gets to showcase so many sides of himself we haven’t seen him tap into before as when you see his eyes when their filled with joy their is still a part of him where he questions himself he wants to look the best dress the best and be the best version of himself and if he is not doing that he feels lost. Plemons is able to capture this anxiety riddled character in such a way that you can understand everything within his heart through looks in his eyes and the sincere way he delivers his lines its a performance that has him front and centre showing so many layers of his soul. The other two characters of the film he plays is all so unique in their own way as the second character he plays is a man questioning who his wife is and so he pushes her to do abnormal things to see if she will do them and really test her in order to see if she is who she says she is. That whole character Is a walking disaster and he pushes his friends away in order to find answers of what this woman who claims to be his wife is. He brings such amazing quirks to the three characters he plays in the film but it is the first character that he really left a big impression on me now the second character is also psychologically very interesting but the first one he plays really I think showed his ability to explore parts of himself we the audience had not seen before. He has proven he can lead a film and I am glad he got an opportunity to showcase his ability to anchor this film as he is more than capable of doing it. Jesse Plemons is a revelation giving a career best performance getting to explore the depths of all these characters and truly being a creative playground for him to explore and have fun delving into these characters in such a fun and emotionally authentic way. 

Yorgos Lanthimos : Lanthimos delivers one of his most creative narratives ever with Kind Of Kindness! Now he has done some pretty striking stories from The lobster to his last big hit Poor Things now what makes This film unlike what he has done in years is the obscure imagery quirky characters dark humour but all of the things I am naming are a lot of are the style’s he’s known for doing in his films. That being said to the extent he goes with this story is unlike anything he’s done in a while as he shows how far a human being is willing to go to get approval and kindness disguised as a form of love. Now the film goes to the extreme of that topic In sometimes very shocking imagery. Now a lot of people are just going to think he is doing some weird artistic stuff that when its a deep message about obsession and splitting it into 3 stories I think Is a genius idea. As I know some will think it will been to soon from Poor Things to this film giving the opinion that we haven’t had enough time from his last project to this one to have a break from his world. Now This film is amazingly well written in my opinion as he brings that signature dark humour he’s known for mixed with truly unique and flawed characters and putting them in the most interesting situations.  As he sets up this quirky look on a modern world with these well fleshed out characters causing chaos all over the place and its not like he is trying to just take a bigger canvas and do water he wants you can see so much thought and planning went into crafting this. With each character he explores why they are damaged in the way they are and also what tests their morals as well and then he has each situation we see unlike the last and you can see he had a blast just going places creatively he has yet to go. Yorgos again pushes the limits of what he has yet to do while also giving that signature style we love without at the same time fall into the trappings of repeating himself. It is a dark at times funny shocking film that delves head first into what it’s like to be in a toxic love if that is a person or whatever form it takes he shows that in the many shapes it can take and explores the ugliness of it in very brutally striking ways that will have you shocked. He also gets great performances from his entire cast especially Plemons who gives a career best performance. Yorgos knocks it out of the park with yet another narratively genius story that explores how far humans are willing to go to be liked and the sheer abuse they put themselves under to be liked. Yorgos knocks it out of the park with his take on that message in this 3 hour creative feat tremendous direction by Yorgos once again.