Daddio
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ (Out of 5 )
On arrival at JFK airport, Girlie (Dakota Johnson) hops into the back of a cab driven by the opinionated Clark (Sean Penn). What transpires is an epic journey of armchair psychoanalysis spanning sex, relationships, gender, power and grief. When roadwork slows the trip to mid-town Manhattan, Clark coaxes personal details from his cagey passenger by offering some of his own. The two take turns, one-upping the other with all the skeletons in their respective closets, until Girlie drops the ultimate bomb.
Daddio is a film that cuts to the chase and doesn’t bat around the bush in its brutal honesty. It’s direct, honest, and raw as its central cab ride conversation covers many tricky, tender, tense and complex topics. It simultaneously slices through any pretence, and yet still maintains a level of empathy and compassion. Sean Penn’s Clark is a cabbie who runs his mouth, calls people's bluffs, and unapologetically pokes people's buttons. Dakota Johnson’s unnamed passenger is a mysterious young woman, capable, independent, struggling and deeply confused. Through their earnest and uncensored conversations, the two break down each other's barriers and have a deep, continuous heart-to-heart that should deeply engage audiences. Christy Hall’s feature directorial debut was initially conceived as a stage play but is vividly cinematic thanks to multi-Academy Award-nominated cinematographer Phedon Papamichael being beautifully shot for a film that’s predominantly in a cab for 95% of its runtime, with great editing and use of lighting. Overall, Daddio is raw, honest and genuine but very mature in its content. It’s an unfiltered and uncensored cab ride conversation that’s direct, coarse, prickly, earnest, open and heartfelt, with fantastic natural performances from Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson, and witty writing that combine for a deeply engaging experience.
Reel Dialogue: Is honesty always the best policy?
Daddio is a film that gets prickly and crass in its honesty. Sean Penn’s Clark is fairly uncouth as he diagnoses the world's problems and the selfish ways people use each other for their own gain. But in doing so, he forms a genuine connection with his passenger, and the two are able to process their grievances with the world.
The tongue is a double-edged sword—it can build people up or tear them down, and brutal honesty can sometimes hurt. Often, it’s not what we say but how we say it that makes the more significant impact. We must guard our tongue and speak truthfully but with kindness, compassion, and respect.
“Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment.” - Proverbs 12:19
