Kinds of Kindness Review
A movie far from being "kind."
Synopsis
Kinds of Kindness is an anthology film that tells three distinct stories sharing a common theme. A bussiness man tries to get control of his own life as his boss controls every decision made by him. A policeman suspect of his wife, who has gone missing in a marine research, as she is finally back, but as someone different. A woman tries to find a certain someone who is able to wake up the dead.
As those stories may sound completely different from each other, they are all played by the same group of actors and share a common character named "R.M.F", who is never revealed his identity, but it's still present on all stories.
The Death of R.M.F
The Death of R.M.F tells the story of a business man (Robert - Jesse Plemons) who is extremely controlled by his boss (Raymond - Willem Dafoe), to the time he wakes up, what he eats, what he wears, and even when he should have sex with his wife (Sarah - Hong Chau). As the story dissolves we see that Raymond has given a job to Robert, kill a man in a car crash (R.M.F), still, Robert goes against Raymond's idea to kill an inocent man. Raymond in response says that Robert is free to do whatever he wants as Robert, in Raymond's words "doesn't fully love me [Raymond]."
Right after Robert is "free" of Raymond he decides to tell his wife the truth. As he reveals that he choose her to be his wife becae Raymond told his to do so and that the reason from all the miscarriages was due to Raymond, as he didn't want them to have kids. In response, Sarah leaves Robert and is never to be found. Robert, in desperation, tries to find a solution to be once again controlled by Raymond, as he has no idea how to make a choice or anything by himself, due to this Robert goes on and kills R.M.F. Afterwards, Robert goes running to Raymond and Vivian's (Raymond's wife - Margaret Qualley) house, where he is accepted to be given full control of his life and choices to Raymond.
The Meaning of this Segment
Power
This extreme view on power over others is done incredibly well in this movie. As it's able to see how a person may sometimes be "done" being controlled to every action they do. Still, we see how this person that's once set free starts to become crazy for power over them, how they aren't able to make any decisions by themselves and wants that control over them back. Like it's shown in the movie that Robert immediately killed R.M.F once he realized that he wasn't able to do any decisions without Raymond.
R.M.F is Flying.
R.M.F is Flying tells the story of a policeman (Daniel - Jesse Plemons) who suspects that his wife (Liz - Emma Stone) isn't the person she seems to be, as she was lost in the sea due to a work research and when she came back she had different attitude that her husband remembered off. In fear, Daniel speaks with his friend (Neil - Mamoudou Athie) how Liz isn't the same person, as he said that she wanted to eat chocolate once she came back from the island (he mentioned earlier in the movie that Liz hates chocolate). Later, Daniel notices that Liz's feet don't fit her shoes, making him question that the woman on his house isn't his wife.
As Daniel suspects of his "wife" not being who she says she is, Daniel makes a "test" to prove her love to him. Later on the movie Daniel says that he is hungry for a finger, specifically a thumb, withouth even considering much Liz cuts her thumb off and serves it to Daniel. Even being shocked by such situation, Daniel doesn't stop, and asks to Liz that he is hungry for a liver, her liver. Again, without thinking a lot, "Liz" cuts her liver off, but she isn't able to live after this event. In the end of this segment, Daniel finds Liz's bloody body on the floor and the "real" Liz outside of their house.
The Meaning of this Segment
The Limits of Love
This segment specifically adresses love to others and the limits we go for such others to be accepted. As it's shown in this segment, the "fake Liz" would harm herself just so she could be accepted into Daniel's life. By doing other things too such as, having friends over and cooking their favorite meals, scheduling a trip with her "husband", and forcing a pregnancy, Liz tries every possible thing to be accepted into Daniel's life. This segment also shows in extreme ways how others may test each other to prove their "real" love, as it's shown that Daniel would suggest Liz to do such violent things to herself.
R.M.F Eats a Sandwich
R.M.F Eats a Sandwich is by far one of the weirdest and most complex segment throughout the movie. Showing a woman (Emily - Emma Stone) and a man (Andrew - Jesse Plemons) who are a part of a cult run by Omi (Willem Dafoe) and Aka (Hong Chau) who are requesting for a woman that is a capable of awakening the dead.
As the movie goes on a woman (Rebecca - Margaret Qualley) talks to Emily about her twin sister being the person she is looking for. Emily and Andrew don't say anything to the cult members as Andrew think she was lying and trying to discover something from them. Yet, as Emily still believes in Rebecca that her sister (Ruth - Margaret Qualley) is the person they are looking for, Emily stumbles through her past, her ex-husband (Joseph - Joe Alwyn ) and her daughter. As Emily and Joseph stay for a night talking, Joseph abuses Emily and she immediately goes back to the cult members, that have considered her to be contaminated due to her relations with her ex-husband. As a result, Emily is expelled from the cult and her only way back in is to find this "Messiah." Emily goes to the vet-clinic, as Rebecca told her about Ruth's workplace, and Emily drugs Ruth so she doesn't wake up. Later on, Emily tests if Ruth is actually able to awaken the dead before bringing her to the cult, and she is, as Ruth awakens a man named R.M.F from his death. In the end of the movie we see Emily driving Ruth to the cult, still, as Emily almost crashes her car, Ruth flies directly through the windshield and dies.
Acceptance into a Community
Like I described in the text earlier, this is one of the most unexpected and unsettling segments in this whole movie. But, it's one of the most important segments as it summons up the entire message of this movie. As this segment shows the extents of humanity to be accepted into a community that would simply discard you in the first opportunity. Specifically, we see Emily giving up on her life to find this mysterious person to a cult that doesn't care about her and don't promise anything in return.
The Main Message
Kinds of Kindness as I said before is far from being a kind movie, with its absurd and uncomfortable situations and its extremely graphic scenarios, this movie is able to analyze and mock humanity in multiple situations. As it shows how power can affect any person, either being a controlling boss, a loved one, or a even a leader of a cult, While the movie still shows the lengths and limits of people's devotion to one another.
Yorgo's Vision
Yorgo's vision is by far one of the most unique things in this movie, by teaming up with long-time friend and writter, Efthimis Filipou, they are able to show and amazing but distrubing view in humanity and our relations to one another. Yorgos is now coming back to his Greek roots, that were really common on his early movies such as Dogtooth, Alps, and The Killing of a Sacred Deer. With this comeback on his earlyworks, Yorgos is able to maintain a unique and solid direction throughout the whole movie, seeing a lot of his style on the cinematography, acting, writting, score, and clothing.