Kinetta

Kinetta is a unique and thought-provoking Greek dramedy released in 2005, renowned for its innovative narrative style and distinct characters. Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos in his feature debut, the film lays the foundation for the Greek Weird Wave movement which he later spearheaded alongside other prominent directors in Greek cinema. His quirky yet grounded vision comes to life through the performances of actors Evangelia Randou, Aris Servetalis, and Costas Xikominos.

The film is set in the off-season, gloomy landscape of the tourist town Kinetta, where the actors’ characters form an unorthodox band of misfits each dealing with personal issues. Evangelia Randou plays a housemaid struggling with her desolate life. Aris Servetalis is a photo-store clerk and part-time photographer aspiring to refashion the world as he wishes, while Costas Xikominos is a car rental agent with a strange fascination for BMW cars. These individuals are clinging onto their tedious routines and mundane existence while fostering a shared penchant for reenacting violent murders.

The story weaves a tangle of reality and unreality as the central three characters pursue their unusual hobby – reproducing crime scenes of unsolved murder mysteries that come to fuel their personal fantasies, calibrate their identities, and offer them an escape. The performers maintain a detached, mostly silent manner that amplifies the sense of gloom, isolation, and banality that permeates the atmosphere of Kinetta, intentionally reinforcing a sense of unease in viewers.

The film operates on an experimental narrative employing minimal dialogue, long takes, and a distinct lack of non-diegetic music. It intentionally frustrates traditional narrative expectations to elicit discomfort, as Lanthimos frames banality as fascinating and the grotesque as casual. The combination of the characters' desperate loneliness with the dark comedy element creates an unsettling ambiance.

Lanthimos ingeniously uses the Greek town as not only a backdrop but also as an illustrative character within the narrative. The worn-out, deserted landscapes of Kinetta punctuate the sense of alienation that comes from the off-season tourist destination, reflecting the characters’ isolation and emotional stagnation. This ties into the movie’s overall theme of escaping reality whether through daydreams or the reenactment of disturbing events.

Viewers should be prepared to decrypt the silence, decipher the characters' actions, delve into the reality behind dramatized violence, and experience the emotional paradoxes presented. Kinetta requires its audience to actively participate in the process of meaning-making, making the viewing experience intellectual and stimulating.

The performances by Evangelia Randou, Aris Servetalis, and Costas Xikominos are nuanced and captivating. The contributions of each actor are commendable as they embrace the demands of the script, embodying their characters' quirks and complexities, and convincingly delivering long scenes of minimal dialogue.

Lanthimos's cinematic style and techniques are already evident in Kinetta, and these elements eventually find fuller expression in his later films like 'Dogtooth' and 'The Lobster'. The film's visuals are atmospheric, with natural lighting and a washed-out colour palette adding to the gritty realism which Greek Weird Wave is known for. Understanding the film requires a different cinematic language, taking viewers on an immersive journey that contrasts with typical commercial cinema.

In conclusion, Kinetta is a provoking allegory of contemporary Greek society done in a minimalist style that eschews conventional storytelling structures. It features a fascinating ensemble of actors and explores themes of isolation, escapism, and how we frame narratives to cope with reality. It’s a contemplative cinematic experience that invokes thought, discomfort, and intrigue in equal measure, all while offering viewers a glimpse into the beginning of the Greek Weird Wave movement in cinema. This film serves as a testament to Lanthimos's unique cinematic language, pushing boundaries of conventional filmmaking to explore often overlooked but nonetheless significant societal issues.