Aight few notes for this video I DO NEED TO REWATCH BUT CANT AS ITS ONLY AN EARLY SCREENING I SAW, however if I do I’ll do a video on each movie, just waiting for the actual Australian release Next, I mention the dance is different, however I noticed on tik tok they do use the clip I showed in the video, however, moves that pop up later in the trailer definitely weren’t in the movie, a little thing but whatever I noticed and was sad Essentially her great thrust move didn’t land on the lyrics dropping the way it did in the trailer, and that was a shame to me :/ Next, I do think there’s plenty of credence to the alternative interpretation of number two, the idea it was all a delusion from plemons’ character and everything in the comments I totally agree with, if I do a follow up I will touch on these! However I still do like the idea he ended up being right, despite how messed up that is! Anyways thanks sm for watching!
I like the doppelgänger version more, because we actually see the dogs at the end, which in the Lanthimos' way of the things merans that it was all true. BUT: how to explain the cops scene? If she was a doppelgänger, and he was never delusional, why his phone was on a random person? and why he licked the blood like he was crazy?
PLEASE call him Lanthimos and not Yorgos (George), because the Spooky Astronaut is 100% convinced that his surname is Yorgos, he calls him all the time like George like he was his brother u__u
Yeah that’s true haven’t thought about the scene where he looses it on duty but it could be explained as him having a mental breakdown because suddenly this conspiracy goes beyond just his wife but still being right about the doppelgänger him having a mental episode does not rule out his wife being a doppelgänger in fact how is one supposed to react to being involved in a supernatural conspiracie of this kind perhaps he licked the blood to see if it tastes like blood or if this person is somehow fake and their blood is not real or smth like that
Emma Stone absolutely ate the movie. It’s incredible how in the second story she manages to, at the same time, give the impression of being a stranger while you can totally feel sorry for her and her abusive husband. Same scene, same face, two completely different perspectives. Chef kiss
Later, we actually see Liz with the cat curled up next to her - he might've just not liked her hospital smell initially. This whole part is just one conflicting clue after another!
I think Yorgos just uses all these elements (the cat, the shoes, the chocolate) for us to believe his position and forgive the violence as Emma did. It's mind tricking. And for me: it's real that later Emma wasn't the same woman, as she was a victim of such a stresful situation and actually came back with a PTSD. What's curious about this story is that you actually tend to forgive Jesse as Emma did. That ending is all in Jesse's head, as she comited full deliverance to his crazy demands and that makes her the woman he knew before.
Also, in part 2, the cat goes from hissing at Liz to cuddling up with her, and even running away when Daniel walks in the room. I think this is an interesting detail, showing the shifts in power and manipulation throughout the story.
Watched the film last night and can't stop thinking about it. The second film left me wondering if Liz disappeared on purpose because she was being controlled by her husband. When she returned he didn't recognise her because she had become the person she really was and he had destroyed her sense of self when they lived together. I thought the bit where she tried her shoes on and they didn't fit was a metaphor for her becoming 'too big for her boots', now that she had come back as her true self. At first I assumed she really was a changeling, but the more I saw of her husband's character, the more I felt Liz was the person being controlled.
one thing i thought was interesting about the shoes not fitting in #2 was that pregnancy can make feet swell and shoes not fit but she hadn’t announced it yet, so she was trying to hide it. i’m still unsure about whether or not i do believe that she’s a doppelgänger, but something to note
Yeah this is really good As you mentioned was said before the pregnancy reveal so it didn’t click Honestly you might be right, there’s a chance she was just trying to hide a pregnancy that occurred while on the island, I guess it just feels a bit random it was some random guy off screen given how intimate this film feels However it’s a very clear and rational conclusion to come to
When she was hiding her shoes didn’t fit I took it as her being ashamed she “grew”. He definitely body shames her, since food seems to be a central theme in this story with her devouring that chocolate cake after he repeatedly stated she hated chocolate and then he boycotts her food and says her fingers are disgusting after asking her to cook it for him She could have been trying to convince him she might be pregnant to hide the gains This story feels like a Lolita type story where we only get the abusers perspective
@@marshallstannus we literally SEE the dog's society: her husband was right! she was a doppelgänger! he found his phone again and the real wife told him what to do! No woman in the world could serve his thumb and remove her liver by herself, it was a request to trick a non-human! it is a happy ending!
Made no sense that a good driver would take her eyes off the road for that long - law flouting drivers are often the opposite of reckless as they compensate for speed by being very careful with where their eyes are, their reflexes etc - too much of an unrealistic device to kill off the healer
@@heyyou9839 Yeah there were a lot of sloppy details that didn't make sense; like the vet not being able to tell the dog was a stray or that the cut wasn't from a dog but a knife.
I think that the fact that Emma Stones character in the second story is trying to hide it, the fact that there are some scenes which are meant to suggest something supernatural is actually going on is to get across the idea of gaslighting. Like she, as the victim of this abuse, is convincing herself that maybe she isn't being herself and that something is wrong and as a viewer you start to think the same way, by the end you don't know whether maybe you should feel good for the abuser which shows how manipulative abusers can be
The real Liz shows up in the mind of the abuser, as she responded for evert crazy demand he did until the point of taking her own life, which is the real and final proof. That psychopathic or narcisist wish is satisfied and that's what makes Liz the woman he knew before. It's very asociated with the previous story! @@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017
One of the best videos on Kinds of Kindness I’ve seen so far. I want to add my perspective on the 2nd part. It’s taking a lot of inspiration from Solaris ( I haven’t seen the film, but red the book so my comparison will be with the book ). The man arrives to the space station at this planet Solaris that seem to be somewhat “intelligent ocean”. Later a doppelgänger of his wife ( who died some time ago) just appears and following him everywhere and she’s painfully attached to him and every time he kills her she reappears again, dressed the same. He’s desperately trying to get rid of her, but she’s trying to win his love. Very much like in kinds of kindness she almost knows that she’s not enough and there’s something wrong with her. I he quote about smooth feet is a direct quote from solaris as well. It refers to this creature being identical copy but sort of a repetition made of something that her than a human who grew and walked and had their feet roughened. I’d really love to know what you think and if you’re familiar with this book! Because even though it takes inspiration from there it’s not conveying the same message given the context. Might be quite the opposite
This reaction is also a textbook narcissistic abusers response - to invalidate their victim and make them feel less than / never enough in order to wield control. From a psychoanalytic perspective you could also argue that the husband’s response is a commentary on Lacan’s understanding of desire as lack, but undoubtedly reaching into pathological misogyny in its interpretation.
I’m not sure of that. I actually think that in a weird way if anyone else fit all the criteria (have a dead twin, measurements and whatnot) they could actually become a messiah. It’s implied by the movie that Ruth isn’t described or pointed to in the prophecy, but becomes the messiah upon the death of her sister. It’s like a recipe lmao Which I think is also a nice additional layer to the story, because Rebecca « makes » Ruth into the messiah and ultimately gets her killed. I saw it as a depiction of unhealthy admiration and expectations from family members who live vicariously through the glorified image of their loved ones.
Came here to say this, you can't make a mesiah by replicating the "rules", the "rules" are signposts to the one mesiah. Ruth doesn't become a mesiah when her sister dies, if that were true why would she think her sister was the mesiah in the first place?
I agree with how the rules are just the cults signposts for the messiah. Like I believe the twin sister’s death wasn’t actually necessary. But one could argue. When we first saw Ruth use her powers it was when her sister was dead so she did fit the signposts. So like she was the messiah for a brief moment when her sister died then healed her. Now since her sister is alive she is no longer the messiah
Most “explained” videos simply go over the movie and sometimes have 2 minutes of commentary. Thank you for explaining your thoughts and theories because holy shit I need to talk about it
I think the evidence that the woman isn’t Liz is thin. When Liz comes home at the end and they embrace, the film is ethereal, golden, and colorized in a way the rest of the movie is not. Only when real Liz dies is Daniel able to reunite with the woman he was in love with - a fantasy. Women also gain fluid in their feet when they’re pregnant, and she also could have gotten pregnant before she left on the trip. Her new preference for chocolate was explained in her monologue to her dad too. This film is clearly about Liz being not a completely different person, but a changed person that Daniel is unable to accept. Daniel is clearly not trustworthy/has warped perceptions - he lied to the doctor about what he asked of Liz as well as hitting her, he goes delusional with the couple he pulls over, etc.
I also loved how you extended the analysis, extrapolating the infinite cycle of domination through RMF. The trauma bonding in Emily’s marriage leading to her being drawn to the cult was also great analysis.
thank you so much for making this. None of my friends have seen the film yet and it's been a struggle to find much good analysis so far. I really liked a lot of your observations and I particularly admire your willingness to explore the husband being right in RMF is Flying. Sometimes an unconventional reading of a film can have a really strong effect on us even if it is hard to justify it through the text alone. That being said I do believe the pregnancy is what likely caused the foot swelling. Furthermore her caginess around it was possibly due to her realizing that she was pregnant with someone else's child (possibly the other survivor.) Which would also justify her looking uncomfortable in the hospital room with both sets of partners present. Definitely possible.
I also don't think the version of his wife who shows up at the end is a manifestation of guilt. I view it as mission accomplished for him. He's crushed all the independence that she developed in her time away from him. The "ideal version" of his wife who would literally sacrifice any part of herself for him has returned. How this works literally... is definitely another question, but metaphorically I think it's a very powerful ending
This is A fantastic point and read and the foot swelling from pregnancy is totally fair and something on rewatch I may have focused more on! Good stuff and yeah, I did think maybe she cheated, however I guess given how direct and blunt a lot of yorgos’ films are, I took her at her word when she said she was waiting for Plemons’ D for when she returned, Of course she could’ve just been telling him what he wants to hear and she did get her freak on on the island with that dude, and it definitely crossed my mind. But with yorgos I definitely think you have to sometimes really go with the blunt directness of certain characters, Both directions are totally fair and I really like what you’ve pointed out here!
@@robbiemcarley To me, the timing of her showing up exactly when the other died suggested the "Liz" at the door could just be another doppelganger. We don't see anything to distinguish her from a fake.
For me Part 3...She can only "love" her daughter when that "love" is mediated by the cult. She doesn't leave, say, flowers from a shared pre-cult memory of daisy chains, she "shares" cult-water with her daughter. Whatever she feels for her daughter I'm not sure it's love at all. It's more like she's trying to recruit her daughter to grow up and sell Amway/MLM products too :-) Any and all love for her daughter is gone, completely.
I'm not sure I agree -- she does leave her a box of nike sneakers in addition to the water, which her daughter loves and points out to her when they run into each other, though she has been told they were from her father. Unrelated to your point, but this also made me question whether the Dad really cares about maintaining the mother/daughter relationship or is just using the daughter to lure Emma Stone into sleeping with him again.
@@edennaureckas3115 After a rewatch, she seems even more distant from her daughter: she refuses several invitations to spend time with her, and then there's the really disturbing scene in the car park where the daughter talks to the mother and this ends up with the mother telling her (paraphrasing) your dad's sperm is contaminated. But she does buy her the sneakers, which doesn't 100% fit in with this interpretation. Both parents call her "The Little One", and it's not really affectionate, it seems to me much more distancing. Anyway, all sorts of observations and interpretations. I might well go and see it again.
The pregnancy scene, she doesn't tell him that the Doctors said it is a psicological pregnancy, she tell's him that the doctors said she couldn't get pregnant before due to psicological reasons
I liked the 1st and last one the best. [SPOILERS] I liked the 1st one because of how the confusion between control and love was betrayed. I also found it very interesting how lost the employee was after Raymond abandoned him (this is mainly coming from my religious background I guess). If you can relate to the themes of the first story, there is plenty of food for thought, in my opinion. This is probably a stretch but I felt like the wife was maybe one of Raymond's “puppets” as well because of: (1) how much she seemed to like him (2) the way she disappeared and also how she reacted to the husband telling her the truth (3) how they met and the fact that the getting yourself hurt trick worked only on her and the character played by Emma Stone and (4) Raymond having multiple puppets at once. Great video, and commentary!
100% with you that the first story isn't the best one. They're all really entertaining and, like you, I'd love to see a version with the stories cut together at some point. Would definitely buy a blu ray with both versions
I actually almost think the film might work better? Hot take? But stops us from wanting to rank the stories and see them instead working together Would also make RMF really interesting, maybe his inclusions make more timeline sense that way
This is a really great review I must say, I appreciate hearing your insight. Very great perspective...when I was watching it, I WONDERED THE SAME THING TOO!!!! THANK GOD IM NOT ALONE! ACT 2 AND 3 WERE MY FAVORITE TOO!!!! Literally subscribed right after review, great stuff man!
About the immaculate conception thing. Upon first listening at the theater, I interpreted like you; and then I wondered - didn't she rather mean that before the accident she couldn't conceive because of psychological reasons, resolved after her return from Doggo Island? It left me doubting my own ears...so, well done Yorgos. I think the second story is indeed the most powerful of all three.
I am actually envious of people discovering Yorgos Lanthimos through these three short films. When I stumbled upon Dogtooth my mind was blown and had to work hard to understand his narrative style and perspective. These 3 shorts are great I think because since they share the same themes one can compare and see how they all represent Lanthimos' point and social critique. It's also his most "mainstream" film in my opinion, in the sense that he keeps the stories around the American culture, in capitalism and cults. The actors as well being English speakers and the settings, it's just an accessable film to people just now encountering his work. I am so glad he's getting more fans. Alps is I think his more denser and challenging perspective to understand but no less rewarding. Cheers 🥂❤
I feel dafoe #1 knows that RMF will come back to life so there is no issue on Plemons #1 offing him. It was all fine. Basically making it a "kì!! your son" and testing Plemons #1 faith because he knew that even if you off RMF, he will be ok in the end. I also believe Dafoe#1 was also controlling directly his wife and everyone else on story 1. The whole movie is a critique of faith and religion in my opinion. Story 2 is also about faith, on your partner and the viewer. We must choose to believe it as a poor woman being reject by her delusional husband, or a husband knowing his wife is still missing. It causes cognitive dissonance on the viewer and also serves as a change of roles for stone and Plemons. Both are puppets in story 1 and 3, but change main roles in both so story 2 is like an intermediate to change guards basically. It has an interesting structure as a whole.
I feel like the shoe not fitting thing could be seen as her not fitting the shoes or image she used to fit for him and she kind of knows she’s changed as a person so she’s a little unsure he’ll accept her if he realizes she’s developed as a person as well, she hasn’t stayed the way he knew her she’s grown. That’s just how I took that scene.
I’ve seen somewhere that the shoe thing and the chocolate cake thing is due to pregnancy swelling and cravings. Although I get how the doppelgänger theory could be true, I also feel like we could just leave it up to each audiences interpretation. Because I could relate to both characters desperation to get back their loved ones. Also, when we see this story as the husbands delusion, there’s one element that’s enforcing. When you think you lost someone you love, you sort of ruminate and obsess with the memory of them. So in this case I feel like the husband literally created a version of Liz so idealized in order to cope with the anxiety and hopelessness, which ( doppelgänger or not ) backstabbed him.
#3 was my favorite, because the characters had a clear goal (find the messiah), #2 my least (just Daniel being miserable and unpleasant to others). My reason for thinking she really was a doppelganger in #2 is that RMF was the one who brought her back, and we already know he works for Raymond to the point of giving up his own life in a crash, so what wouldn't RMF be willing to take part in? Getting back to #3, I think if Emily's husband had done that before she would have been more suspicious of any drink he offered her (he could be awful in other ways though). I don' think the cult had any kind of obsession with virginity though: not only were members expected to have sex with the leaders, but they knew Emily had a husband & daughter she left. They believe a person can be purified, which is what she was hoping to do after they found out and is presumably how she first became accepted, but they weren't willing to extend that to her at that point. I don't think it's such a good thing that the person with healing powers died, but since Emily kidnapped her and she would likely have been held prisoner by the cult on that yacht, I can see an argument for them being among the least deserving of her powers. I don't think Robert would be fired for RMF coming back to life in #1. RMF being certified dead meant he did exactly what was desired. Maybe he'll have to kill RMF again, but he was never expected to prevent cults with magical powers from undoing death.
I love this comment, but just to clarify, I didn’t think the cult themselves were obsessed with virginity, but I thought the issue they took with contamination, semen water etc etc did feel like a good ALLEGORY for purity culture in the real world!
@@marshallstannus I think the requirement that any water comes from them and all sex must be with their leaders is more analogous to... actual cults that try to cut their members off from the rest of society, including their old families.
Such a great video! I agree with you that part 2 was definitely the best (at least I enjoyed it most - it really reminded me of the book Our Wives Under The Sea which deals with a VERY similar topic and which I wholeheartedly recommend). However, I would like to comment on the issue of the pregnancy that you raised in your video. First of all, it is never stated explicitly in the movie that Liz and Daniel do not have sex after she comes back (he just says that he refused to after she hit him with his baton). Second of all, the way she says "the doctors cannot explain it, they say it's a miracle and maybe it was psychological" I assumed that it either means that a) it's a miracle that she conceived *now* because she couldn't conceive *before* (they had fertility issues earlier, before she disappeared and they couldn't have kids) and so maybe her previous infertility was due to psychological issues or b) she got pregnant before she got missing and somehow did not miscarry on the island (which would be considered miraculous). The pregnancy could explain the changes in her cravings (chocolate cake), cat hissing (different smell), change of foot size (water retention). Can even explain her sexual *appetite* showcased numerous times. But I also think Yorghos structured this section to make it impossible to definitely figure out if she's a fake Liz or not. The fact that we never see who actually hit her (was it Daniel, as she claims, or herself, the way he claims) is the most telling clue. The director doesn't want us to actually figure it out. It is word against word. I absolutely love it. (I do also think Daniel suspects Liz survived because she ate a body of her colleague/colleagues and thus is unable to see her as a person again, just this monster that took place of his wife and it's probably the most likely theory)
One of the best reviews/explanations for this movie I've seen so far. Absolutely agree with the rankings of the stories & the views on the first section.
It would be interesting if they release a version cross cutting contantly between them. Would be a good special feature on blu-ray, similar to Irreversible being played in order on the UK release.
I 100% agree with your reeding of the second movie I think there is a very important scene where Emma stones bloody heels are very intentionally shown to the audience without the presence of jesses character while she goes up to serve Jesse her finger if everything was imagined by Jesse it would make much more sense to show the audience in this scene that her heels are perfectly fine in my opinion this completely goes against the reading of everything being in jesses head there’s is also the psychiatrist acting very strange and unfitting for the overall situation not just from Jesses point of view but also while talking to his police colleague about jesses mental state
17:56 I do wish you addressed her getting beaten up. I didn’t really get it. If she was so willing to cut her thumb off to show her love, why then would she beat herself up that night and then tell her doctor he beat her? It doesn’t fit with what she dies for him. Alternately he beat her up, which kind of tracks but also doesn’t since he knows she will harm herself if he asks.
I agree with you! Every reviewer says the first one is good and then the second two are just ok. I thought all three were on even footing. I was equally entertained and thought provoked by the whole film. I actually think I liked the third story the best
I think she was a doppleganger. Makes sense why she starts eating chocolate, her feet swelling up could be logically explained -- an allergic reaction to insect bites for example -- but no explanation to how she forgot her husband's favourite song. Can anyone think of a theory to explain that one?
I think with Liz, we are supposed to be questioning her alongside Daniel. We also can not totally tell reality from his delusions. All these little things that makes sense logically but just felt uncomfortable and…off. I personally think it’s the darker theme of the two because the ending felt like something idealized, like it was too good to be true. Then it basically immediately cuts to her dog dream sequence which to me kind of read like the story ended in hallucination/fantasy. Not to mention he was obsessed from the beginning with what they ate to survive so I really think Liz coming back broke him. I think it’s very likely we are witnessing his warped view on reality and we are kind of unable to tell what is real and what is not. We wind up going down the rabbit hole with him.
I wonder if RMF Eats a Sandwhich was inspired by Chuck Palahniuk's Survivor. The novel also features a cult and the main character becomes a messiah figure. He also has a twin brother who (spoiler) dies at the end in a car accident. I think it's Palahniuks best book, strongly recommend
Ok ... I think I understand the 3rd act cuz you do such an excellent job retelling stories. In the first two acts I did see it felt to me, this is all about how men abuse women and gas light them to make them feel like they should be grateful. If we remove all supernatural interpretations: 1st Act - Plemens is abused by his job. Which he, in turn, takes out on his wife. Mainly by gaslighting her with the "gifts" from his boss and putting Plan B in her tea so they never have children. Pregnancies are seen as a threat to the needs of corporations. 2nd Act - I don't recall all the plot of here but it seems like its the police state that abuses Jesse. Where he and his partner treat their wives like sex dolls. The police go to great lengths to hide Jesse's psycopathy after he shoots an innocent man and licks the wound during a routine traffic stop. For that crime all he gets is bed rest and pseudo therapy. Leaving him to go home to his wife who suffers mercilessly from his untreated malignancy. She tries everything to please him, including a phantom pregnancy (which can result in feet swelling) and offering up parts of herself to satisfy Jesse's insatiable cruelty. This is not a happy ending cuz even a doppelganger did not deserve his treatment. And he's not likely to change. 3rd Act - Religion is the culprit. And both the husband and cult leader try to control Stone's reproductive autonomy. Stone has a little more agency but all the women seem to be at the mercy of the men. Doing self-destructive things to service the men's needs. Sometimes willingly, sometimes not. And I think RMF only came back to life in her mind. Conveniently, the car crash "kills" him again. I too saw this in a packed theater but the audience look shocked and stupefied. Very little laughter. I realize its social commentary but it didn't seem clever nor particularly relevatory for me. Just really mean to women and apparently dogs. We have a South Dakota Govenor who might enjoy that latter bit.
@@marshallstannus Well it really came together for me after you explained how the 3rd act played out. I'm also a fan of your MAFS renditions especially. So funny.
Jesse is not "abused" by the police state. You make an argument that they cover up his misbehavior, but they do nothing to abuse him. Nor do I think there's any evidence that his partner was abusing his own wife. Rather, all of them appear to be swingers, and each member of the other couple seemed to have the same reaction to Daniel's behavior. You make an interesting point about what "Liz" deserved assuming she really was a doppelganger. Daniel claims the doppelgangers are laughing at their spouses in the hospital room, but from everything we see of Liz she's entirely sincere. Removing & offering her finger & liver aren't things a normal person would do, but also not something a cynic trying to get one over on him would do. I don't think the twin from the diner was a woman "at the mercy of the men". She had complete agency. She behaved in a self-destructive manner, but nobody was pushing her to do it. Rather, she pushed ahead even as the cultists tried to ignore her.
@@clownpendotfart Sometimes neglect is a form of abuse. In this case, Jesse exhibited severe psychotic behavior by shooting and then licking the wound of an civilian who posed no threat. However, they did not seek for Jesse immediate in-patient psychiatric treatment to get to the root cause of his bizarre behaviors. Instead they sent him home. Most likely to protect the police department from admitting fault and getting sued. One key point this movie seems to be making is that institutions, like private corporations, the police, marriage, and religion, protect themselves at the expense of the people who make them run. And often times people engage in very self-destructive behaviors in order to serve these institutions needs.
The 'real' wife in number 2 shows up wearing the exact same clothes as the one in the chair. There are conflicting signs, but I think that's a sign that it's in his head. Also, the Kubrick vibes are strong here. I know Lanthrimos has been compared to Kubrick before, but this maybe even goes to the point of homage. The piano keys striking in the soundtrack are reminiscent of Eyes Wide Shut and the bodily fluids thing could be a reference to Dr Stangelove.
Hey Marshall. Finally got to see this the other day. Absolutely Brilliant movie! Yorgos does it again. His films are amazing... and Emma Stone and Willem Dafoe are just superb!!!!!!
@@marshallstannus I'm with you btw that the 2nd story in this movie is probably the best. The whole film has so many layers. I'm gutted I missed this at the cinema. Your breakdown is awesome mate!
I think your “beautiful,” supernatural ending of “RFM is flying” is akin to the ending of The Whale. I don’t think any of it was ever supernatural. However, I feel that anybody reading it as supernatural has just opened a door to conversation with themselves. Why is the hopeful supernatural element resonating more than the very obvious and dark symbolism? You were right when you said it’s an allegory for abusive relationships. The obvious suggestion that she really is some kind of supernatural doppelgänger, I suspect, only exists to make people question their own biases. Rather brilliant if it’s the case. If not, it is competition for the entire allegory with the only payoff being confusion. This was my least favorite scene out of all three films by a long shot. I would have to type out another paragraph to fully explain why. I don’t think you wanna read that.
2nd scene. What abt the scene where emma is on the island eating what could be another person. Or was it from Jesse's mind whe. He was telln the story to Will?
thank u for this video, it was really interesting unlike you, my least favourite story was the second one, because i was just so confused and really did not understand anything, wether it was why he was thinking that she was different or why did she showed up at the end... thet themes really went completely over my head. but again, taste is subjective and your theories and explanation were really helpful. I did really enjoy stories 1 and 3 and the movie as a whole but I do think that it's the type of movies that gets better and better on re-watches.
If RMF is one of Raymond's chess pieces and he wants to waste him, why does RMF accepts another ride in the blue BMW after the mild accident he had with Jesse? Maybe Raymond promised that if he would die, he would take care of his relatives?
with the shoes not fitting, and the desperation for sex, something makes me feel like she knew she was pregnant before they found out, pregnancy makes your feet swell, so maybe infidelity through a trauma bond of who else was stuck on that island? maybe she was abducted and shes herself but shes been impregnated with an alien? who knows but the feet swelling and the begging to have sex leads me to believe she knew she was pregnant and wanted her husband to believe it was his
ALSO reading through the comments!!!!!! I felt like act 2 was Maybe an inverse rosemary’s baby?!!!!! Like this pregnant woman, being strange and seemingly gaslighting everyone, Also it’s interesting that he chose the Liver, which alcoholism and drug abuse will certainly cause liver damage, and maybe the cutting of the finger symbolizes marriage, and staying in an abusive marriage regardless if the relationship is healthy, which usually leads to coping mechanisms such as drinking or drugs which leads to the failure of the liver, and the embrace afterwards could also symbolize how we choose to remember people after they die, we almost get to control their narrative more than they were alive, we get to remember them however we want to and since they are no longer alive they cant disrupt that fantasy??
There is nothing supernatural happening here, and it's a mistake to rate the sections of the film. All three stories are interconnected, so this film must be viewed as one entity. Kinds of Kindness mirrors the absurd cruelty of society, and RMF is a metaphor for the illusion of free will.
I agree. The first story is the weakest. It's long, but that doesn't make it better. I also cannot pick between the second or third story, Cheers for the breakdown.
You clearly didn't get the 1st one! Dafoe's character represents god! Everything he does is a literal representation of "God's Plan". The film ridicules the normal human belief that whatever happens is all part of the big daddy's plan.. We do that while justifying anything and everything that happens to us or around us, and it is incredibly silly! Lanthimos just mocked all of that!
One thing I have to comment on is I really dislike the way the sexual assault is handled in the last story. The shot of her chest while it is happening feels like it is sexualizing her and I feel the sexual assault is treated almost as part of the absurdist humor of the film and I really dislike that. I also feel like a lot of the film feels very leery towards the female characters in a way that feels very misogynistic.
In the last one? I didnt feel like it was specialized. I actually appreciated that the didn’t SHOW everything. I felt uncomfortable and I don’t really understand how it was sexualized? I don’t remember seeing emma stones chest in that scene
How is it treated as absurdist humor? She gets kicked out of the cult and victim blamed which is a very cruel and dark part of the film. It didn't seem like comedy was the goal with that. And yes, margarate qualley and Emma stone are often sexualized in the film but again the dark nature of this scene doesn't feel like it's focusing on stone's body like it did in the 1st 2 shorts. Just my take.
Went to the cinema yesterday without watching any of the trailera or reviews to get a fresh view. I enjoyed all three parts and the movie flew by. I think that the first one is easier to approach. But did enjoy the others for their weirdness and Emma Stone did a fantastic job. No digs to Jessie, he was great too. In fact the acting was great and every character did a great job. As it’s still fresh in my head, i would say that I liked the second the most, but the first and third were equally good. This might change after watching those again in the future. Thanks for the review as after watching a few others I was surprised how much people did preference the first over the others and how much people thought the anthology apart in the third part. There’s so many details in these stories to interpret though I did like what you had to say. Will be rewatching this for sure to think of the movie more.
That isn’t why Christian’s stay pure has nothing to do with look at me, I’m untainted. It’s because of the Bible verse that states you save yourself for your spouse. It’s actually a very practical thought process beyond spirituality. If you don’t have sex before you get married you won’t get a kid, disease or anything else before you get married. You won’t be tied to a baby daddy that is horrific or won’t take responsibility etc. It gets harder and harder and less relevant as time goes by because of the exposure of sex. But the few celebrity or bands who tout purity as hey look at me is in no way representative of real life.
