Clara (Zoe Kazan- an American) and her two young sons (Anthony and Jude) drive from their small town to NYC. Alice (Andrea Riseborough- a Brit) runs a forgiveness support group out of a church; Marc (Tahar Rahim- a Frenchman w/ Algerian heritage) and his lawyer/friend, John Peter (Jay Baruchel- a Canadian), are recent members. While searching for food at a Russian restaurant (The Winter Palace), Clara meets Marc, who has been given the chance to revitalize the eatery by the owner, Tim (Bill Nighy- a Brit/also served as a producer). After their car is towed away, Clara’s family meets Alice (an ER nurse), who gets them into a shelter. A young/jobless man, Jeff (Caleb Landy Jones- an American), comes upon this shelter and becomes a volunteer.

The title of this indie film (free on several streaming platforms) comes from the Tennessee Williams’s play A Streetcar Named Desire. Blanche Dubois declares “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” at the finale. The play was adapted into a movie directed by Elia Kazan, the grandfather of Zoe. The writer/director of The Kindness of Strangers is a Danish woman, Lone Scherfig; she directed a (must-see) drama- An Education (2009)- starring Carey Mulligan and Peter Sarsgaard. One reviewer was reminded of Frank Capra (a 1st gen Italian-American); this filmmaker’s movies carried positive messages and focused on the shared humanity of Americans. This film (which premiered at the Berlin Film Festival) was shot in NYC, Canada (Ontario), and Denmark.

The Kindness of Strangers has an understated quality, though there are some serious issues explored, incl. domestic abuse, unemployment, homelessness, lack of family/community support, and loneliness. Though the speed of life in NYC is fast, the pacing here allows us to notice each character of the fine international/ensemble cast. Kazan (who may be more known for rom coms) does V well w/ drama here; your heart just goes out to her character! Rahim is NOT only handsome/graceful (perhaps b/c he’s French IRL), he has a quiet intensity onscreen (as his character is mostly reserved). I admired the look of the film; the cinematographer is Sebastian Blenkov. Have you noticed that romantic scenes (dir. by women) are usually quite effective/memorable? There is a kiss btwn Kazan and Rahim which is full of emotion and (heartfelt) desire.

[1] Brilliant story, brilliant acting, brilliant directing. […] From the very beginning, it captures you; quite sad at some points, but it just kept getting better.

[2] The success of the movie depends on how Zoe Kazan carries her part and she carries it well. Good movie for anyone who has an interest in human relations.

[3] Homelessness is one thematic layer to a story that investigates kindness as the social glue that matters most and is possibly also the most underrated of dispositions or inclinations, often being seen as weak or oversensitive. Personally, I found it a lovely film, quite moving in places with its acknowledgment that, without kindness and the generosity of strangers, society would fall apart.

-Excerpts from IMDb reviews