Kinds of Kindness: The Art and Absurdity of Yorgos Lanthimos

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How do you make sense of the bizarre yet captivating world of Yorgos Lanthimos? That's what my brother Mike and I aimed to uncover in our latest Oh Brother Podcast episode. We kicked things off by wrestling with the perplexing narrative and stylistic choices in "Kinds of Kindness." While I couldn't get past the dissonant music and stilted dialogue, Mike helped me see the method in the madness by connecting it to Lanthimos's other works like "Poor Things" and "The Lobster." We also chatted about the stellar performances from Emma Stone and Jesse Plemons, and how they navigate the unsettling territory typical of Lanthimos's films.
From there, our conversation veered into the realm of shocking and artistic filmmaking, especially within a trilogy of films that left us both disturbed and intrigued. Themes of control, dependence, and sexual perversion took center stage, with unforgettable performances by Willem Dafoe, Jesse Plemons, and Emma Stone. We couldn't help but compare these avant-garde movies to classics like "Eyes Wide Shut" and "Sex, Lies, and Videotape," ultimately finding a new appreciation for Lanthimos's nuanced storytelling, even if the explicit content continued to spark debate between us.
To lighten the mood, we reminisced about a hilarious Saturday Night Live skit featuring Sean Hayes, Jimmy Fallon, and Will Ferrell. This set us off on a tangent about the role of absurdity and realism in film. We marveled at how dark material can unexpectedly be punctuated with humor, thanks to performances by actors like Jesse Plemons and Emma Stone. Wrapping up the episode, we gave a heartfelt shout-out to our loyal supporters, especially our friends from the Rexer Show. We raised our "Oh Brother" mugs in gratitude and shared our excitement for future episodes. Join us for an engaging discussion filled with film analysis, humor, and a dash of absurdity!

Actress Karissa Lee Staples

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1. Sibling Podcast Reviews 'Kinds of Kindness (00:00:00)

2. Revisiting Shocking Artistic Filmmaking (00:13:28)

3. Exploring Absurdity and Realism in Film (00:19:07)

4. Critic's Review of 'Kinds of Kindness (00:24:15)

5. Fan Appreciation on Oh Brother Podcast (00:36:05)