Kinds of Kindness

Kinds of Kindness (2022) took me on quite the unexpected journey, earning a solid 9/10. At first, I was completely thrown off, unsure of what was happening and where the story was headed. The disorienting start had me questioning everything, but once I grasped the underlying structure and began to understand what the film was really about, it all clicked into place in the most rewarding way.

The film does an exceptional job of building layers of complexity around its central theme, exploring the nuances of kindness, its effects, and the ripple it causes in various lives. The storytelling is unconventional, leaving some viewers initially confused, but for me, the gradual unveiling of its meaning turned out to be one of the film’s greatest strengths. The performances were stellar, and the emotional payoff by the end was well worth the initial disorientation.

Kinds of Kindness proves that sometimes the most impactful stories are those that require patience to fully appreciate. It’s a film that stays with you long after the credits roll, and I found myself reflecting on it for days. Definitely one worth watching if you enjoy films that take a more introspective, non-linear approach to storytelling.

Quite the thing! I really enjoyed 'Kinds of Kindness'.

I'm also someone who loved 'Poor Things' from these folk, so I guess me also liking this isn't any sort of surprise. It is a truly bizarre movie and I can see many disliking it, a thought supported by the fact that in a cinema with around 10 others alongside me, 3 left before the conclusion; 1 left at the end of chapter one, then a group of 2 left at the end of chapter two.

I'm personally absolutely cool with absurdity if the filmmakers truly commit to it, otherwise what's the point? Yorgos Lanthimos & Co. evidently did just that and I was thoroughly entertained across the entire run time, which is impressive given it lasts for almost three hours; it flew by for me.

I'm already a big fan of those onscreen so didn't need much convincing to see them act again, and I'm glad I did because all those acting here are great. Jesse Plemons is the standout in my eyes, what a terrific showing from that man - such a top actor! Emma Stone is, obviously, excellent as well, as is the awesome Willem Dafoe. Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau and Mamoudou Athie merit praise too.

Gotta get 'The Favourite' watched at some point, all the while getting set for 'Bugonia' - Stone x Lanthimos is where it's at!

Loved Poor Things so watching this was a no brainer. So much going on, and I'm still thinking about it hours later. I'm going to have to watch it again.

A movie about selflessness.

As soon as I saw the poster for this was the sigil of Lucifer I assumed there would be some esoteric stuff in here and there's not only that but all three stories are centered around subject matter in the 'conspiracy' world (I hate that word but everybody knows what I'm talking about when I use it) while subsequently being about power and its consequences - in three different forms.
I almost want to say I'm missing the point if I see this as three separate entities that I could rank because they all share eerie similarities in the subject matter but also each actor almost seems to play one soul - as in Willem Dafoe's characters all have the same soul and Jesse Plemons's all have their own singular soul and so on. It's almost like each one of said actor's role is a separate time in their character's life, but obviously in a very allegorical way because this is Lanthimos and Filippou for crying out loud.
It's funny to me that Yorgos can never seem to make a film without some form of sexual gratuity/violence or someone performing animal abuse. Those are his two fascinations lol.

Just glad to have seen two Lanthimoses (new word?) in the cinema now. People angrily stormed out of this one. People laughed. And I, having fasted for two days, had uncontrollable glee when I got to experience a brand new Jerskin Fendrix song - the first since 2020 - play out in the cinema after what can only be described as a genius film as the normies around me made their way out the film temple. HO-HO-HO NEW JERSKIN INDEED.

A grand return of my personal dream team (Lanthimos-Filippou) in this anthology exploring abusive and manipulative relationships. As usual, familiar contexts are distorted to magnify human behavior's unhealthy aspects and tendencies in grotesque yet exhilarating ways. The commentary is sharp without ever feeling heavy-handed, keeping everything fresh and easily digestible, thanks to the underlying humor.

The king of weird does not disappoint.

Such strange films.

- RMF is dying -

At first it seemed like one of those instances a person would try anything to avoid going back home to an abusive partner or a stale family life. Including getting hit by a car.
Or just wanting pity really, *really* bad.
But also wow, the wife exchanges a few words about him having been at the hospital, and suddenly Raymond and his gift was much more important.
So here I was starting to think, who is this Raymond, pulling the strings, he wanted him to get hit by a car too?

And with all the weird and surreal that is ensuing after the first few scenes, it’s become a little more clear that this is this like a portrait of a toxic relationship with a narcissist.

Liked the touch with the initials. Insane, but fits the profile.
RF… Raymond Fischer, Robert Fletcher, Rita Fanning.

- RMF is flying -
Bit of a mind fuckery at first, to employ the exact same actors but in entirely different roles.
The weird fockery is even almost literal in this one, I was guessing the film he was mentioning would be something like that… but fruit and fish huh. Wow. Already going all kinds of crazy directions here. Who is really right or wrong here? Who is delusional? Is anybody?
The thing Liz said, that it’s better to eat something that’s always there than to depend on something hard to get… the delivery of that was so good. It hit pretty deep.

I liked this one.

- RMF eats a sandwich -
Well this one… the end became somewhat predictable, but a part of me really wanted her to show up there with Ruth. And I really wanted her husband to die.
What kind of delusion / mental illness / et.al is this one about? What is it called… communal hallucination… communal delusion… or in short, cult?
Spoiler: he’s actually eating.

At the moment I'm living on several precipices (prepuce?), and this is exactly the kind of movie I needed because it's like my life: it defies explanation and if you can accept that, you'll revel in it.

if you will watch this, forget 10 poor things and remember the killing of 9 lobster, 8 sacred dear. perhaps some greek almodovar?

i actually started it by accident, just looking for a random comedy in which my lady would not sleep, but i ended up watching it alone again, obviously.

as much as i enjoy rms easter eggs, and productions, to me nothing compares to living in a 10 skin and feeling the whole spectrum of a story i can easily share with loved ones and learn about fantastic captain life.

this sadly misses the bullseyes.

Rated a Connor 10, normal 8

This is avant garde right? Cuz it sure feels like it. I don't know who RMF but every story was so quirky and fun. Cinematography on point. And everyone's acting was so good at being normal and unhumanlike at any moment. I had a good time just being taken for a ride in three odd stories.