2024 Cannes Dispatch 3: Well-Received Indies and Films by Respected Auteurs Dominate the Day

"Kinds of Kindness" takes its actors, including Jesse Plemons, Hong Chau, Hunter Schafer, and Mamoudou Athie, on a nearly 3-hour ride through three very different stories, separated by chapters and varying premises. The first premise follows Plemons as a man seeking another future after being controlled by his manipulative boss (Dafoe) – everything from what he eats to when he's allowed to have sex. The second story in this anthology shows Plemons again, this time as a spouse whose wife (Stone) has gone missing, only to have her found, and he insists she's an imposter. The final chapter depicts Stone and Plemons as cult members tasked with finding a chosen one with a supernatural ability to resurrect the dead.

An ensemble film like nothing Yorgos Lanthimos has attempted before, "Kinds of Kindness" veers into feral directions. It is a showcase for Plemons, an actor desperately needing a lead role like this to demonstrate the range of his talent. Stone is fantastic as always, seemingly solidifying the collaboration with Lanthimos that's so far earned her an Academy Award for "Poor Things" and possibly a nomination for this film as well. The rest of the cast is fantastic in their respective roles, though this film will not be for everyone. Themes of sexual dynamics, power, influence, and misunderstandings emerge.

It is a complicated watch in some areas, especially when Lantihmos goes full throttle into the horniness and sexual spaces he's become famous for in many of his movies. This is not the director's best of his filmography, but it's quintessential Lanthimos and his outlandish sense of humor and drive. Though it's not as funny as "Poor Things" or as demented as "The Lobster," "Kinds of Kindness" has an appeal to it mainly due to the varying characters within the anthology, giving every actor their own unique moments to shine.

For me, the final film of the day was an extra special one: "Oh, Canada." I was invited to the gala premiere of the new Paul Schrader film that debuted in the Grand Théâtre Lumière. Walking the red carpet alongside stars Richard Gere and Uma Thurman, I thought I was in a dream scenario where I got to wear a tuxedo and feel fancy for an evening. The 95-minute movie about a Vietnam War draft dodger who confesses the sins of his past during a filmed interview was one of the best ways to spend a night at the Cannes Film Festival.

Gere portrays fictional documentarian Leonard Fife, who is interviewed about his filmography, career, and personal troubles before he dies of cancer. Half of the film takes place in 2023, as Fife is near death, while the other half takes place in 1968, where a younger Fife (Jacob Elordi) strolls through life as a womanizer and creative photographer. "Oh, Canada" jerks between the two periods as Fife's inner monologue takes over the film's narration.

Paul Schrader is known for helping give Richard Gere an acting career as a movie star, having directed him over 40 years ago in "American Gigolo," Gere's breakout role. This second collaboration provides Gere enough room to come back into the fold as a bonafide movie star again, this time as an aging man regretful of his life choices and how he's ended up where he is upon his deathbed. Thurman plays Fife's wife with precision and confidence. Seeing them on screen together in meaty roles is also a pleasant surprise.

However, "Oh, Canada" isn't as compelling as the premise suggests, even with solid performances from Gere, Thurman, and Elordi. Fife's story is difficult to process, but the constant confusion propelled by inconsistent time jumps left me feeling like he isn't a reliable figure to tell his story. It's uncertain what is true within the film and what Fife keeps hidden, which amounts to an ending that doesn't resonate as much as it should.