Daddio
The connections that stay with us are not always because we have similar backgrounds- sometimes, it’s just because we are put together by circumstance. One of my very best friendships I’ve ever had started like that, and a quarter of a century later, I feel like it’s been one of the most important bonds I’ve ever had. We do not anticipate that Girlie, the woman who needed a cab ride home from JFK airport, and Clark, the cab driver, will have a connection beyond this moment, but it’s impossible not to think this particular moment will stay with them for a long time.
Christy Hall does what is one of the trickiest things a writer and director can do- she makes a film that takes place almost exclusively in a cab compelling to watch. The choice of whose face is the dominant one on screen. The decision of how to show the text message thread Girlie (played by Dakota Johnson) has with someone named “L” in her phone. The times when she has Clark (played by Sean Penn) look back at his fare. Cinematically, this is a riveting experience.
“Daddio” is a title that will become clear the longer we spend with Girlie and Clark. They strike up a conversation, and the push and pull makes for a tense ride; there are times when we’re not sure what to make of Clark, but eventually, Girlie lets her guard down, and their discussion gets deeply personal. They keep a tally. By the end, we’re not surprised that Girlie “wins,” but we are shocked as to the story she tells in order to win, the story that led her into Clark’s cab. We feel like we’ve been told an entire story, we can visualize every moment described by these characters, and we see how these characters wear their choices on their faces. This is a film about people revealing themselves in a leap of faith, and having it reciprocated, as well as the understanding that their bad choices don’t have to define them. This is a beautifully calibrated look at personal pain giving way to unexpected catharsis, all because someone we didn’t expect cared about what we had to say. Leading the way are the phenomenal performances by Johnson and Penn (the latter of whom hasn’t been this good in years). We hear their voices, we see their faces, and we understand why, in this moment, they release some of their uncertainties about their own lives on the other; because they sense someone who is not just waiting to speak, but wanting to listen.
