Daddio (2023) review
Making those once-in-a-lifetime connections + yap
I love to start the day quietly. My beloved college roommate used to say she knew we’d get along because I left her alone in the morning and kept to my coffee and thoughts. I am a big believer that stillness matters. Just this morning, my father, the sweetest dad to ever exist, told me to please stop talking when I said more than two words to him before 9 am. Stillness is etched in my bones.
I think stillness is what drew me to Daddio, the directorial debut from Christy Hall, released last year and newly added to Netflix. I was immediately drawn to the trailer when I saw it in theaters for something I’m so mad I can’t remember. The trailer brings us into the cab ride that Girlie (oh god is that REALLY her name???) played by Am I Ok? actress Dakota Johnson takes as she arrives home from two weeks in her homestead in Oklahoma. The cab driver, played by Sean Penn, is a seasoned professional in reading people; he can read his passengers from the get-go as they get into his cab.
Spoilers here <3
Daddio immediately drew me in because it’s so personal. It does not zero in on or make fun of Johnson’s millennial character’s relationship troubles. It pairs her with Penn, who is x years her senior, leaving her in such a vulnerable spot (a long and drawn-out conversation with a stranger). The film could have made Penn’s Clark a jerk who does not let up on the fact Johnson’s character puts her phone away for a while, for the film’s entire run, but instead, it’s mentioned and eventually dropped; this character trait in Clark becomes more admirable as we learn Johnson’s character is involved with a married man and her phone becomes a character on its own.
As Clark hits traffic, the taxi stops and the duo are trapped. The taxi’s stillness allows for the conversation to flow and the vulnerability to increase. Daddio allows all barriers to come down between Penn and Johnson, and we’re able to see their two characters bring their humanity to the forefront. This is why I love films focused on conversation. We’re here to bond with the characters and focus on nothing else. That’s why it was so heartbreaking to me when the traffic eventually let up and Johnson’s route home continued. The movie thankfully does not end when Clark continues driving, but the twosome’s personalities and lives are really established when the vehicle is still.
Films revolving around conversation aren’t for everyone. The lack of change can be boring, but I believe that there is plenty of evolution through conversation. Daddio is one of my favorites of the year. It’s currently streaming on Netflix!
I'll check it out! We could all use some stillness at the moment.