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Film reviews

Daddio Review

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Daddio is one of the best films of the year.  The approach is different, and the taxi plot is magnificent. Written and directed by Christy Hall, it is a look at reality through an unknown connection where personalities find common ground. Dakota Johnson and Sean Penn are top-notch. Conversations lead to thought-provoking insights. I have never felt so moved by such a simple plot in ages. Daddio made it happen.

The film takes place in New York. Johnson plays Girlie, and she is returning home to New York after a trip to Oklahoma. She gets in a taxi at JFK airport. Once the cab driver begins to speak, the film finds a surreal wave of inner connection. Penn plays Clark (the cab driver). Clark starts to talk about how technology has changed the ways of tipping and how life is unfair. He rambles at first, but then Girlie begins to enjoy his attitude. They then begin to talk about relationships and life itself. They discuss their families, connections, and opinions. This taxi ride takes venting to a new level that is pure and real.

Girlie looks down at her phone periodically. While she is deep in conversation with Clark, she is also receiving lewd and provocative texts. Clark realizes that she has a sensitive side as she turns some of her attention away from him. Girlie jumps right back to giving attention to Clark. However, Clark can tell that there is part of Girlie that is in a bind.

At one point in the film, there is a traffic jam. At this point, it seems like the film might start dragging. Instead, it gets more enticing. The traffic jam offers the opportunity for Girlie and Clark to talk more about life and experiences. They go deeptalking about relationships, sex, and adult humor. Why is Girlie alright being so open with Clark? Why is Clark so open with Girlie? Are they both lonely?

The writing creates the characterizations of two introverted individuals. Their openness comes from both feeling disconnected. They become “connected to reality” once they meet each other. Girlie is coming back from a trip in a blur, and Clark is just making conversation. Girlie is quiet, and Clark is knowledgeable. Somehow, they click. When their conversation has a punchline, the smile on Johnson’s face shines like fireworks.

Daddio made me think about what it means to be open with others. Is it worth opening up to strangers? Is there a chance of a connection? Daddio offers mesmerizing revelations during a cab ride.

Johnson has an innocent personality that is bright and shining. Penn has a character which is social and accepting. They both speak to each other from experience. And they find the light in the heavy topics that come their way. How much will they take with them once the ride is over? Penn’s performance as the cab driver makes the film worth the fare (i.e. price of admission). It is truly worth the time to experience the emotion in the film’s deep conversations. Four out of four stars.

Film reviews

The Bikeriders Review

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Motorcycles are dangerous. Motorcycles form a gang. Does it have a beneficial factor? The Bikeriders go down a road of a blur along this aspect. Written and directed by Jeff Nichols, The Bikeriders feels like a mafia atmosphere. The only difference is that it is a gang that rides motorcycles. This direction is based on the 1967 photography book (the book carries the same name as the film) by Danny Lyon. That is where the fascination for the film came from. That would explain why the film feels more like a surreal journey than a biopic. It contains more along the lines of personality dangers over motorcycle adventures. That approach is where the line is blurred.

Austin Butler plays Benny. Benny loves to ride his motorcycle into paradise like a king. He also loves his wife, Kathy (played by Jodie Comer). Benny has loyalty. His mentor is Johnny (played by Tom Hardy). Johnny is the king of the motorcycle crew. They call themselves the Vandals. As Benny goes deeper, Kathy feels there are more detrimental aspects to come around in her life. With Benny always being in love with his motorcycles and the crew, how good of an influence is Johnny? The actions of Benny have consequences, and it does so for Kathy as well. If Benny cannot ride, he will feel incomplete. Is that a road that Kathy wants to go down with Benny?

The tension is there, but the presentation is mediocre. The film transitions to Kathy telling a story with a journalist throughout the film. She goes into detail about the activities she took part in with Benny. She talks about how the gang has had its share of crazy scenarios. This approach delivers an appreciation of the emphasis of the film. Its delivery feels like a sob story direction.

Being on a motorcycle is what makes Benny feel like he is truly alive. Having Johnny by his side is that layer that keeps him going. He disregards his actions just for Johnny repeatedly. When it comes to the subject of love, it seems Benny cares more about anything to do with motorcycles than Kathy alone.

The Bikeriders is a powerhouse dynamic with superb scenery. Its artistry with motorcycles and its focus on the Midwest carries weight in the film’s continuity. It just does not fulfill the spectacular expectations that some audiences may expect. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.

Film reviews

Kinds of Kindness Review

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Director Yorgos Lanthimos has taken his audience on many bizarre and exhilarating journeys. From the standpoint of a manipulative in Dogtooth (2009), a place of grieving in Alps (2011), a futuristic hospital in The Lobster (2015), a surgeon making risky choices in The Killing of a Sacred Deer (2017), an 18th century queen who is tormented in The Favourite (2018), a woman coming back to life in Poor Things (2023), and a theory of strange events in Kinds of Kindness. This film feels like the mosaic of a play because of how the characters play different people in different yet correlated segments. It is crazy how quickly two hours and forty minutes flew by. The unique scenarios and twisted elements made it seem much shorter. 

The film begins with the actor Jesse Plemmons, who plays three characters named Robert, Daniel, and Andrew. Although accustomed to a life of wealth, he begins experiencing turmoil due to poor choices by his boss, played by Willem Dafoe. Dafoe also plays three characters named Raymond, George, and Omi. In one segment, Robert is trying to not allow his boss to control his life. However, that causes things to become even worse. Robert’s wife, played by Hong Chau, vanishes. She plays three individuals as well, named Sarah, Sharon, and Aka. These characters are experiencing a variety of tough scenarios and bad episodes.

Lanthimos has created a soap opera of a project divided into three parts. The first part is titled The Death of R.M.F. The second is titled RMF Flying. Finally, the third is called R.M.F. Eats a Sandwich. The first scenario is about trying to overcome power. The second scenario is about someone who believes his wife is an imposter, and the third is about someone who is tryingto find resurrection from the dead. Emma Stone is part of the third scenario with her roles as Rita, Liz, and Emily. As Emily, she is doing the reverse of her previous role in Poor Things because she is now the one involved with the strange task of bringing up the dead.

Another actress who brings heat to the film is Margaret Qualley. In her three roles as Vivian, Martha, and twins Ruth and Rebecca, Qualley is a force of nature. In this film, tensions are bizarre, creepy, and all linked together. It sometimes feels like weird extra-long TV episodes. Lanthimos taps unnerving emotions in Kinds of Kindness. With each character playing different people in different sequences, there are conflicting dynamics and unexpected resolutions.

During the film, the issue of crossed boundaries kept coming to my mind. Many of the events in Kinds of Kindness are based on morals that raise red flags. The realm of a triptych fable is part of the inner complexity of Kinds of Kindness. On some level, the transitions do not feel adequate in the context of believability. 

The title itself sets the tone of interesting thoughts and motives. Kinds of Kindness is a cat-and-mouse game that has deadly circumstances. Does it execute well? I felt the writing fell flat at times. Lanthimos can do bizarre right, but can he diversify it effectively? The slew of events led to confusion as scenes meant to be enticing became blurred. Kinds of Kindness is a film of endurance, but it tries too hard so is not a masterpiece. There are too many dots to connect and limited flow with the mixture of characters. Two-and-a-half out of four stars.