Following the success of Poor Things, the internationally acclaimed Greek filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos presents the “three-act fable” Kinds of Kindness, once again starring Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe. The cast also includes Jesse Plemons and Margaret Qualley. The screenplay, co-written for the fifth time with Efthimis Filippou (The Lobster, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, Dogtooth, Alps), will premiere at Cannes 77 and be released in US theaters on June 21.
Power and love, control and free will, obsession and chance blend with the notion that “a very important aspect of the human experience is lost if one takes oneself too seriously.” Shot during the post-production of Poor Things, Kinds of Kindness had a long writing process but a swift production, thanks to on-location filming, natural lighting, and contemporary costumes—all characteristics absent from Lanthimos’ recent films. The film’s merit lies more in its ideology than its artistry: Lanthimos’ will to innovate, not to ride the success of Poor Things, but to forge ahead with a unique, weird, and even radical triptych on the human condition, “imposed” on Searchlight Pictures and directly connected to his earlier works like Alps and Dogtooth in its disorienting nature, surrealist roots, horror elements, and embrace of madness. The actors take on roles that span the three episodes, revealing a universal existential status where the master-servant dynamic unfolds in work relationships, romantic partnerships, and sect adherence. The phrase “how human you are” from the Italian comedy series Fantozzi could describe this ironically titled Kinds of Kindness.
Thus, a man (Plemons) is dominated and controlled by his boss (Dafoe) even in his private life, from diet to sex, and must carry out a new mission: a car accident. A policeman is driven to delirium by his wife (Stone), who, after surviving a shipwreck, returns home and seems to be another person. A woman (Stone) is determined to find the spiritual leader of a sect, who might be a sweet veterinarian (Qualley, enchanting). Not everything works—each episode lasts 55 minutes for a total of two hours and 45 minutes—the pacing lags at times and a good trim would have been appreciated, but Lanthimos’ strengths outweigh his flaws, offering an audiovisual liberation that is both personal and professional reflection, poetic manifesto, and philosophical rather than sociological pamphlet. Sex plays a significant role—with Stone and Qualley boldly defying Hollywood prudishness in the second episode; self-mutilation and cannibalism make an appearance—poor (creature) Stone; psychological domination and sexual violence, with the use of date rape drugs, are depicted—yes, again Stone; suicide is featured—this time Qualley. It may not be Lanthimos’ best, but what more could you ask for?
Il Fatto Quotidiano, May 18, 2024