“Isn’t it wonderful?” 

The anthology film. It is an almost lost art in the realm of cinema. While they are still being made, they aren’t quite at the level they once were. “Kinds of Kindness,” the latest film from Yorgos Lanthimos, delivers something new and distinct. 

“Kinds of Kindness” is an anthology film that contains three stories with very loose connections — all dealing with the theme of dedication.  

“The Death of R.M.F.,” the first story of the film, follows Robert Fletcher (played by Jesse Plemons), a man who has his daily life planned out by his boss and occasional lover Raymond (played by Willem Dafoe), right down to the drinks that he consumes. Not soon after Raymond sends him and his wife Sarah (played by Hong Chau) gifts, such as a racquet broken by famous tennis player John McEnroe, Robert’s life begins to fall apart due to being asked to do an impossible task. 

The second story, “R.M.F. is Flying,” focuses on Daniel, a policeman whose wife Liz (played by Emma Stone) mysteriously returns after being lost at sea for a lengthy period, yet her behavior appears different to him. This leads to him believing that his wife is a fraud, an imposter — drawing the concern of his friends, couple Neil and Martha (played by Mamoudou Athie and Margaret Qualley, respectively).

The final segment, “R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich,” focuses on Emily (also played by Stone), a high-ranking member of a cult led by Omi (also played by Dafoe), who, with her associate Andrew (also played by Plemons) is in search of an individual with an ability to revive the dead. This segment also features an appearance from Hunter Schafer in the opening sequence. 

Out of all the great performances in this cast, “Kinds of Kindness”  is easily a star vehicle for Plemons. He inhabits three distinctly different characters in this film and, at times, is completely unrecognizable. A great example is when he is at the hospital in the second segment, trying to explain to Chau’s character, Sharon, how Liz isn’t Liz. His performance has depth, resulting in his dedication to portraying multiple characters in a single film. This explains why he won Best Actor at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

(Contributed/IMDb)

Lanthimos returns to his absurdist roots with a film that strongly departs from “Poor Things” in tone and humor. Lanthimos also co-wrote the screenplay with Efthimis Filippou, who co-wrote the screenplays for some of his other films, such as 2015’s “The Lobster” and 2011’s “Alps.” As a result of this, the film is more similar in tone to the films he made in Greece, such as “Alps,” rather than his recent works like “Poor Things” (as the screenplay for the latter was written by Tony McNamara). “Kinds of Kindness” also showcases Lanthimos reveling in the film’s absurdist scenarios with eccentric and deranged characters. He brings a pitch-black approach to the theme of dedication, which encompasses all three narratives. Another connection between the three stories comes in the form of the mysterious titular figure: a quiet man only known by the initials R.M.F. (played by Yorgos Stefanakos, a friend of Lanthimos and Filippou). There is also the usage of humor in the film, a great example of this being a hilarious sequence in the second story, which utilizes the classic track from Dio, “Rainbow in the Dark.” 

Robbie Ryan, who previously collaborated with Lanthimos on “Poor Things” and 2018’s “The Favourite,” returns as the cinematographer for this film and captures some stunning shots.  

Whether it’s the medium shot of Robert drinking a glass of Johnnie Walker Red on the rocks (with his back facing the camera) or the wide shot of the cult at the hot tub surrounding it (with it being at the center of the frame, resulting in a symmetrical look), Ryan compiles a plethora of perfect shots along with distinct angle shots — with many of these containing the characters looking past the camera. 

In his second collaboration with Lanthimos, Jerskin Fendrix composes a minimalist score that consists primarily of ominous piano notes and almost operatic vocals, which compliments the uncomfortable unfolding of each storyline quite well. Like in “Poor Things,” Fendrix also makes a cameo appearance in the film, this time as the piano player in a bar in the first segment.

“Kinds of Kindness” brings a new approach to the anthology, delivering the absurdist equivalent of Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delights” triptych to the viewer and yet another example of why Lanthimos is one of the best filmmakers working right now.  

It is truly wonderful. 

“Kinds of Kindness” is available to stream on Hulu and will be available for purchase on Blu-ray on Oct. 8.

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