Rent Kinds of Kindness on Amazon Video (paid link)
Written by: Yorgos Lanthimos & Efthimis Filippou
Directed by: Yorgos Lanthimos
Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Mamoudou Athie
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
In three separate vignettes, a man seeks to break free from his predetermined path, a cop questions his wife's demeanor after her return from a supposed drowning, and a woman searches for an extraordinary individual prophesied to become a renowned spiritual guide.
Verdict
It's so obtuse it could mean almost anything. The core theme is control, exploring those being controlled. That manifests in trying to please others at a person's own detriment. The other half of that is someone forcing their will on others; a boss, a husband, a cult leader. This provides three wild stories, and leaves it completely up to the viewer to derive any meaning. The most memorable thing about this is how wild these stories get. What will stick in your mind is the mystery of what it all means. In these stories we see people requiring a kindness as a ruse for control. Those exerting power want fealty. While I wish it provided more, I appreciate the thought it generates.
It depends.
Review
I'm a fan of Lanthimos. His movies possess a distinct point of view and can be strange, but it's clear there is a craft and vision to them. They usually examine some aspect of society. The Killing of a Sacred Deer is my favorite of his movies followed by The Lobster.
Lanthimos movies are weird, but that's part of the appeal. This movie might be his wildest. From the beginning I wasn't sure how this world works, and that never really changes. I struggled to determine meaning. The lack of clarity is what compels one to analyze the stories and try to figure out the link.
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| Jesse Plemons plays Robert Fletcher |
In the first story, Robert's (Jesse Plemons) life is dictated by his boss Raymond (Willem Dafoe). He gets instructions that dictate his day down to what and when he eats. It's like he's a puppet, and I don't understand the how or why. I can't imagine a situation where this level of control makes sense. Robert's life has been so shaped by Raymond that he can't live on his own. Without instruction from his boss, Robert becomes lost. This seems like a metaphor for the corporate world and how eager many employees are to please their boss for praise, to get ahead, or to earn a raise. There are plenty of bosses that want to control all aspects of an employees life, in this case Raymond does. It's a depiction of the devotion to a job to a detriment. Robert will do anything to please his boss, whether it makes sense or not.
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| Hong Chau, Jesse Plemons play Sharon, Daniel |
In the second story, Daniel's (Jesse Plemons) wife returns after having been presumed lost at sea. The problem is that he doesn't think the woman that returns is really his wife Liz (Emma Stone). It seems like it could be misplaced grief. While we get a couple indications she may be some kind of impostor, these clues are from Daniel's point of view, and he's not the best reference. To the outside world it seems like Daniel is losing it. He can't accept his wife is back. When we hear Liz recount her experience, it's even more nonsensical. Daniel asks Liz to do something ridiculous and harmful. She complies to please him. It's unsettling. With the first story, this seems to be a bizarre compulsion to please people at your own detriment. The other side is someone forcing their will on others. By the very nature of this, you can read numerous meanings from this movie, but it's a puzzle.
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| Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons play Emily, Andrew |
The third story follows Emily (Emma Stone) and Andrew (Jesse Plemons) looking for the chosen one, some kind of leader or centerpiece for their cult. This is another story where members of this cult will do anything to please the cult leaders. These leaders seem to be taking advantage, though I'm sure they'd call it a kindness.
Throughout these stories is this desperate need to please someone out of devotion, some kind of compulsion to repay a kindness that doesn't really exist. All three of the main characters lose the form work that makes up their life, and they become desperate to get it back. It's difficult to determine what exactly this means. It could mean anything, and three different stories only make it more of an entanglement. This is a movie you could examine in so many different ways and derive just as many interpretations. If you want a movie that's ripe for discussion, few provide as much fodder. If you want a movie with simple explanations and answers, this comes nowhere close.
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