A taxi driver and his passenger have a conversation about the relationships in their lives in Daddio. As his final fare of the night, taxi driver Clark (Sean Penn) picks up Girlie (Dakota Johnson), who is returning home to New York after a two-week trip visiting family in Oklahoma. As Clark makes the drive from JFK Airport into the city, he makes small talk with Girlie, as she awkwardly exchanges text messages with her lover. When an accident results in a traffic jam, the conversation between Clark and Girlie becomes more personal.
Daddio Synopsis
Daddio is the feature directorial debut from writer and director Christy Hall (I Am Not Okay with This). This single-location drama stars Dakota Johnson (Suspiria, Madame Web) as the semi-anonymous passenger of a late-night cab ride driven by Clark, played by Academy Award winner Sean Penn (Milk, The Tree of Life, Licorice Pizza). As Clark and “Girlie” exchange small talk, the latter seems distracted by the aggressively sexual text messages she receives from her anonymous lover.
When a sudden track jam grinds the cab ride to a halt, Clark and Girlie play a game with each other exchanging personal information. Clark correctly guesses that Girlie's lover is a married family man and goes on to suggest that she is merely “candy” for his womanizing ways, knowing from experience. However, as the two continue to tell stories about themselves, they end up learning more about and surprising each other.
My Thoughts on Daddio
Structurally, Daddio is quite similar to 2013's Locke, though not as engaging as that Tom Hardy solo vehicle. The entirety of the film is an extended conversation between Sean Penn's Clark and Dakota Johnson's Girlie, which is played out roughly in real-time, over the film's 101-minute length. The film also features an unseen third protagonist in the form of Girlie's lover, who exchanges text messages (and sexts) throughout the taxi ride.
Sean Penn performs Clark as a man who has been around the black and laments the fact that passengers paying by credit don't give good tips and that ride-sharing apps will one day make cabs obsolete (only to become obsolete themselves by self-driving cars). A thinly veiled womanizer and sexist, Clark is surprised to learn that blonde-haired 30-something Girlie has a career in computer programming. However, Clark can relate to Girlie's dating situation and he warns her that her “daddy” is only interested in her sexually, as an escape from his family life.
Both Clark and Girlie make higher-stakes reveals about each other in the course of their conversation, which circumvents the expectations they have about each other. The film even includes development involving Girlie's relationship with her lover, even though we never see his face, nor know his name. The most affecting reveal is saved for last, which changes the context of everything that was revealed before.
Sean Penn does a good job of keeping Clark a likeable character, even if some of the things that he says make him come off like a sexist scumbag. Similarly, Dakota Johnson can say a lot about Girlie's state of mind by her physical behaviours in the backseat of the cab. There is one moment in particular, which is anxiety-inducing for both her and the audience.
Altogether, I will say that Daddio is a solid debut from Christy Hall. The film is entirely driven, both figuratively and literally, by the performances of Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn. While you might forget their characters in the same way they'll forget each other, at least you can go along for the ride.
