Daddio

Another trailer that really caught my attention was the one for Daddio so I decided to see it at the Broadway last night.  It is a dialogue heavy two-hander that takes place in one location in real time but it is far more compelling than it has any right to be!  A young woman (Dakota Johnson) lands at JFK and gets into a cab driven by Clark (Sean Penn) for the ride home to midtown Manhattan.  At first the two of them engage in desultory small talk but, when they are detained for an extended period of time by a serious accident on the highway, he begins asking probing questions about her life and relationships.  She pushes back against his unsolicited advice but, when he suggests that he is the perfect person to talk to because she will never see him again, she opens up which allows both of them to share a profound human connection.  The script is incredibly intelligent with razor sharp insights about the dynamic between men and women that are sure to provoke lots of conversations.  Both Johnson and Penn give brilliant and highly nuanced performances (in my opinion Johnson is an outstanding actress when given the right material) and their chemistry with each other is authentic as they spar back and forth.  Even though almost all of the action takes place inside a cab, the cinematography is very dynamic with shots that alternate between Johnson and Penn and employ many different angles and perspectives (I loved the use of the rear view mirror).  I also really loved the moody original score because it adds another layer of subtext to the dialogue.  This might not be for everyone because it requires a lot of engagement but my attention never wavered and I would highly recommend it (with the caveat that there is a lot of profanity).