A drama spanning the cab ride from JFK to 44th and 9th in New York, ‘Daddio’ follows unnamed character (Dakota Johnson) and driver Clark (Dean Penn). Sharing more than just the trip, the two quickly engage on a personal level as they explore the art of conversation and establish a real human connection.
Initially distant yet courteous, Johnson’s ‘Girlie’ enters the taxi tired and withdrawn, following a long flight from visiting with family back home in Oklahoma. Initiating a light hearted exchange, Clark and Girlie discover a well matched and intriguing conversationalist in each other and quickly dare to match the other in terms of openness and provocative topics.
Contained entirely in the cab, Johnson and Penn open the doors to an expansive and rich inner world. Sharing deeply emotional thoughts and events, they discover the different lives they have chosen to lead and instances where those lives overlap.
Approaching the same situation from different perspectives, Penn’s Clark quickly zeroes in on Girlie’s worries. Uncovering her ongoing affair with a married man, Clark touches on delicate topics and forces painful truths to the surface. Engaging with both Girlie and the audience, Penn’s character steamrolls over any aspirations Girlie may have towards her future with the married man and brings to the forefront the awful truth about older men seeking companionship whilst married.
Not to denigrate, but rather to inform, Penn’s Clark admits to understanding the situation so well as he has been on the other side of that relationship in the past. Forcing Girlie on a poignant route to facing the reality she was already aware of, the film puts Penn in the drivers seat, as he leads her to acknowledging her circumstances.
Charged, challenging and human, ‘Daddio’ opens up the two characters and displays their unsanitized, complicated and selfish ways. But instead of abasing the two, the film winds down a path of cathartic release, letting the two speak their minds and release things they have been holding on to. Purging traumas past and present, the two dive deep into despair and manage to pull each other out through to the other side, better for having taken the journey.
Sincere and deeply touching, what starts off as a cab ride that can usually pass in uninterrupted silence, Johnson and Penn choose to engage. Unwittingly allowing themselves and each other to access pain they may not have otherwise faced, the film is anchored by both and gives each their moments to shine.
Written and directed by Christy Hall in her feature directorial debut, the creator is one to watch. With a project that cuts so deep and feels so intimate, Hall has captures a magical moment, creating an interaction that is emotionally nurturing and earnest.
Sincere for the most part, the film also contains moments of sheer shock, ranging from unsolicited dick pics to a monologue about miscarriage. Contrasting well with moments of genuine human connection, the instances of shock aren’t there to catch us off guard, rather to serve as outliers few and far between to balance the scintillating discussion and add more weight and meaning to the interpersonal relationship developing between the two characters. Unassuming but powerful, ‘Daddio’ is well worth the price of the fare.
Score: 3/4
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