Kinetta Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		3.0

Kinetta Blu-ray Movie Review

A mesmerizing car-wreck: both powerful and frustrating at the same time

A nearly plotless experimental film, Kinetta explores the world of three strangers brought together for a unique reason: their desire to experiment and explore the interactions of men and women. The trio is comprised of the gorgeous Chambermaid (Evangelia Randou), a photo-store clerk (Aris Servetalis), and an off-duty police officer who has an obsession with luxury vehicles. At first glance the three don't seem to share much in common but as the film delves into their idiosyncrasies and obsessions, it details relationships through the divides between genders.

Kinetta is such a strange film that one that will easily find it causing a disconnect with audiences at large. The vast majority of viewers who see the film will likely want to write it off instinctively as being self-absorbed garbage. There is no clear plot, the film meanders, and the camera-work is sometimes even a bit dodgy in the experimental style at hand: though that appears to be the intended artistic approach for cinematographer Thimios Bakatakis (Dogtooth, The Lodge). Even so, the film has a number of beautiful visuals and is perhaps an argument on style over substance.

Edited by Yorgos Mavropsaridis (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster), Kinetta is a meandering experience that seems to spend its time on the characters interacting with each other or on their own. The film is not tightly edited (by any means) as a clear-cut work of art. Rather, the editing means to act as a window to the characters lives and it is effective in transitioning the imagery between the three lead characters. I found the editing to reflect the intentional artistic style of the filmmakers and commend it for being organic but there is also no mistaking that most average audiences will be frustrated by what seems a glacial pace.

Fair warning: This is how most viewers will feel when the end credits roll.

One of the highlights of the production is the costumes by Marie-Christine Polymenacou (Seal of Lilith). The characters costume designs are in-touch with these characters in style and tone. The filmmaking leaves a sense of understanding these people through their attire: Polymenacou has managed to find a way to give an added sense of depth to the film through her role as designer.

Directed and co-written by Yorgos Lanthimos (The Lobster, The Favourite), who wrote the script with Yorgos Kakanakis, Lanthimos has a hand of cards up his sleeve that he never wishes for audiences to see. The film is easily described as a mess or a car-wreck. That would be too easy, though. The film breathes life and originality. The style is the work of a true auteur director who was still in the early process of finding his creative footing. While few many walk away with a feeling of affection for the film, I highly doubt fans of the filmmaker will regret seeing this early experiment: it might be uneven but it is rife with life.

Kinetta Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Kinetta has received a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The encode quality on the release impresses for the most part and has a natural, filmic image. The camera-work is sometimes a bit unfocused or unstable in appearance so some shots are a bit softer than others and this appears to be a direct result of the creative decisions involved behind the scenes.

The color palette on the presentation appears to be a bit muted looking and this appears to be an accurate reflection of the cinematographic style established: the entire filmic tone is minimalist and there is subtle grain on the transfer as well. Though there were a few moments of minor chroma issues, the transfer had few problems and is rock solid for the most part. Fans of the filmmaker will not be left disappointed.

Kinetta Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release features an impressive DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 track. The film is presented in Greek with optional English subtitles. The film has a somewhat uneven sound design by nature: this is an extremely low-fi sounding track at times. This seems to be in keeping with the type of filmmaking utilized behind-the-scenes. There is audible hiss throughout many portions of the film. It sounds as though it is source related. The audio often sounds like it was taken from a basic camcorder and not from a high-end boom mic or the like.

Even despite some qualms, the audio track on the release is never incoherent and is easy to understand. Dialogue is never indistinguishable. Compared to other (more recent, bigger budget) productions by director Yorgos Lanthimos, the track is simply average sounding at best. Viewers should keep in mind also that the film has sparse dialogue and only occasionally utilizes the subtitles. In keeping with the experimental nature of the film, there are many scenes that are nearly silent if not for the quieter ambient sounds.

Kinetta Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Audio Commentary featuring film critic Amy Simmons

Kinetta Theatrical Trailer (HD, 00:48)

The release also includes the following trailers for other films from director Yorgos Lanthimos: Dogtooth (HD, 1:36) and Alps (HD, 1:02).

Kinetta Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There is something unique about Kinetta. Though most audiences might leave the film with a feeling of dissatisfaction, there is still a certain aura to it that is hard to shake and dismiss. The film is an early effort from auteur filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos (The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Lobster) and it showcases his affections for strange, offbeat storytelling that is hard to easily define. The Blu-ray presentation by Kino Lorber is excellent and true to the low-fi nature of the source. Fans of the filmmaker will want to seek it out (even if the results are mixed). Recommended.