by Josh Sewell
Daddio
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual material and brief graphic nudity. Opens in select theaters on June 28.)
The premise: After landing at JFK airport, an unnamed woman (Dakota Johnson) gets into a cab and strikes up a surprisingly intimate conversation with her driver Clark (Sean Penn) on the ride home. That’s the entire movie.
The verdict: I’m a sucker for movies that take place in real time, so I was already predisposed to be interested in Daddio. However, I’ve had wildly positive and negative reactions to both actors’ work in the past, which made me nervous. Nothing but Penn and Johnson talking to each other for 90 minutes? Could be a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, that’s not the case. Turns out Daddio is a contender for my 10 Best List in a few months, which I would’ve never predicted prior to watching it. The film’s simple premise could’ve been a never-ending stream of clichés. A New York cabbie and a beautiful, no-nonsense woman initially butt heads but find common ground? Ugh.
Admittedly, it seems like that’s where Daddio is headed for a bit. However, writer-director Christy Hall has something more interesting in mind. She starts with two stock characters and gradually reveals them to be complex, flawed human beings. Rather than an insufferable indie flick about strangers destined to form a life-altering bond, Hall takes a much more realistic approach to the story.
Clark and his passenger are two people who will probably never see each other again, so they utilize this brief cab ride to get real in a way they’d never dare with friends, family or even a therapist. Along the way, the duo’s conversations get weird, unsettling, a little bit sexy and ultimately heartwarming.
Penn and Johnson deliver some of the best performances of their careers, instilling their characters with empathy and heart despite both having some rough personality traits. As such, Daddio earns its poignant ending, which could’ve been schmaltzy in less talented hands. Despite playing in only a handful of theaters, I could see a path (albeit a narrow one) where it becomes a small word-of-mouth hit.
Grade: A-
Kinds of Kindness
(Rated R for strong/disturbing violent content, strong sexual content, full nudity and language. Opens in select theaters on June 28.)
The premise: After last year’s delightfully weird, Oscar-winning Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone reunite once again for this bizarre, polarizing anthology. The film tells three darkly comic stories, in which the same actors play different characters: a man (Jesse Plemons) without choice tries to take control of his own life; a policeman (Plemons again) is alarmed that his missing wife (Emma Stone) has seemingly returned a different person; and two cult members (Stone and Plemons again) are on a hunt to find someone prophesied to become a spiritual leader.
The verdict: A week after seeing Kinds of Kindness, I still don’t quite know how I feel about it. That’s a testament to the whacked-out, unflinching screenplay from Lanthimos and his frequent collaborator Efthimis Filippou.
Your take on the film will depend on how you feel about being subjected to a constant stream of nihilism for almost three hours. While I was constantly fascinated and never bored, I also felt defeated by the time the third story reached its violent, darkly hilarious conclusion.
Still, it’s undeniable that Stone and Plemons – as well as co-stars Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer – are funny and fearless. All are game for exploring the bleak themes that have become a Lanthimos trademark, with no qualms about portraying downright loathsome characters.
Grade: C
A Family Affair
(Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and some strong language. Available on Netflix starting June 28.)
The premise: When Zara (Joey King) quits her job as the personal assistant to movie star Chris Cole (Zac Efron), she accidentally creates a meet-cute between her narcissistic former boss and her lonely author mom Brooke (Nicole Kidman). The two have undeniable chemistry, which leads to countless nightmarish situations in which Zara must navigate their new relationship.
The verdict: This is the second romcom in the span of two months to explore the idea of an older woman diving into an ill-advised relationship with a younger celebrity. While The Idea of You wasn’t perfect by any stretch, Anne Hathaway made the premise far more believable than A Family Affair. In retrospect, her performance rendered director Richard LaGravenese’s bland, unfunny flick (with a screenplay credited to Carrie Solomon) obsolete before it even hit Netflix.
Not only does the premise and dialogue seem right out of a bad ’90s sitcom, so does Don Burgess’ cinematography. Everything is lit like it was filmed in front of a live studio audience (these characters apparently exist in a world without shadows) and there are pauses in the actors’ delivery as if they’re waiting for a laugh track that never appears.
What’s more, Efron and King play spoiled, bratty people who are so toxic for so long that it’s impossible to root for their happiness. By the time the credits rolled, I honestly didn’t care what happened to either of them. Kathy Bates, in a small role as the mother of Brooke’s long-deceased husband, is the only person who comes out unscathed – and that’s solely through sheer force of talent.
Finally, there’s a serious hurdle to the relationship at the heart of the film. There’s honestly no way to discuss it without sounding like a terrible person, so I’m just going to rip the Band-Aid off. Anyone with eyes is aware that Kidman and Efron are no strangers to cosmetic surgery. As such, despite their considerable acting skills, they’ve become so plastic looking it’s difficult for them to make facial expressions. That’s a huge problem in a movie where their characters are supposed to be madly in love yet conflicted about their feelings.
Grade: D+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire
(Rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references. Now available in 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
In this fourth installment of the once-beloved franchise (not counting Paul Feig’s underrated, over-hated reboot), the Spengler family (Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard) and their close friend Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) move from Oklahoma to New York City to team up with the remaining original Ghostbusters (Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Annie Potts). When an evil force is inadvertently unleashed on the city, they must all work together to save the world from a second Ice Age. Special features include commentary with director/co-writer Gil Kenan; deleted/extended scenes; easter eggs; and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
Ennio
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
Giuseppe Tornatore, director of the classic drama Cinema Paradiso, helms this documentary about his longtime collaborator, the great Ennio Morricone. This moving, comprehensive profile of the legendary composer (who died in 2020) explores his early career in Italian pop music through his countless unforgettable film scores.
Tornatore captures insightful commentary from some of Morricone’s closest friends and contemporaries, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Marco Bellocchio, Giuliano Montaldo, Dario Argento, Clint Eastwood, Joan Baez, Quentin Tarantino and more. Special features include an interview with Tornatore; a behind-the-scenes featurette; a bonus scene; and the theatrical trailer.
(Rated R for language throughout, sexual material and brief graphic nudity. Opens in select theaters on June 28.)
The premise: After landing at JFK airport, an unnamed woman (Dakota Johnson) gets into a cab and strikes up a surprisingly intimate conversation with her driver Clark (Sean Penn) on the ride home. That’s the entire movie.
The verdict: I’m a sucker for movies that take place in real time, so I was already predisposed to be interested in Daddio. However, I’ve had wildly positive and negative reactions to both actors’ work in the past, which made me nervous. Nothing but Penn and Johnson talking to each other for 90 minutes? Could be a recipe for disaster.
Luckily, that’s not the case. Turns out Daddio is a contender for my 10 Best List in a few months, which I would’ve never predicted prior to watching it. The film’s simple premise could’ve been a never-ending stream of clichés. A New York cabbie and a beautiful, no-nonsense woman initially butt heads but find common ground? Ugh.
Admittedly, it seems like that’s where Daddio is headed for a bit. However, writer-director Christy Hall has something more interesting in mind. She starts with two stock characters and gradually reveals them to be complex, flawed human beings. Rather than an insufferable indie flick about strangers destined to form a life-altering bond, Hall takes a much more realistic approach to the story.
Clark and his passenger are two people who will probably never see each other again, so they utilize this brief cab ride to get real in a way they’d never dare with friends, family or even a therapist. Along the way, the duo’s conversations get weird, unsettling, a little bit sexy and ultimately heartwarming.
Penn and Johnson deliver some of the best performances of their careers, instilling their characters with empathy and heart despite both having some rough personality traits. As such, Daddio earns its poignant ending, which could’ve been schmaltzy in less talented hands. Despite playing in only a handful of theaters, I could see a path (albeit a narrow one) where it becomes a small word-of-mouth hit.
Grade: A-
(Rated R for strong/disturbing violent content, strong sexual content, full nudity and language. Opens in select theaters on June 28.)
The premise: After last year’s delightfully weird, Oscar-winning Poor Things, director Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone reunite once again for this bizarre, polarizing anthology. The film tells three darkly comic stories, in which the same actors play different characters: a man (Jesse Plemons) without choice tries to take control of his own life; a policeman (Plemons again) is alarmed that his missing wife (Emma Stone) has seemingly returned a different person; and two cult members (Stone and Plemons again) are on a hunt to find someone prophesied to become a spiritual leader.
The verdict: A week after seeing Kinds of Kindness, I still don’t quite know how I feel about it. That’s a testament to the whacked-out, unflinching screenplay from Lanthimos and his frequent collaborator Efthimis Filippou.
Your take on the film will depend on how you feel about being subjected to a constant stream of nihilism for almost three hours. While I was constantly fascinated and never bored, I also felt defeated by the time the third story reached its violent, darkly hilarious conclusion.
Still, it’s undeniable that Stone and Plemons – as well as co-stars Willem Dafoe, Margaret Qualley, Hong Chau, Joe Alwyn, Mamoudou Athie and Hunter Schafer – are funny and fearless. All are game for exploring the bleak themes that have become a Lanthimos trademark, with no qualms about portraying downright loathsome characters.
Grade: C
(Rated PG-13 for sexual content, partial nudity and some strong language. Available on Netflix starting June 28.)
The premise: When Zara (Joey King) quits her job as the personal assistant to movie star Chris Cole (Zac Efron), she accidentally creates a meet-cute between her narcissistic former boss and her lonely author mom Brooke (Nicole Kidman). The two have undeniable chemistry, which leads to countless nightmarish situations in which Zara must navigate their new relationship.
The verdict: This is the second romcom in the span of two months to explore the idea of an older woman diving into an ill-advised relationship with a younger celebrity. While The Idea of You wasn’t perfect by any stretch, Anne Hathaway made the premise far more believable than A Family Affair. In retrospect, her performance rendered director Richard LaGravenese’s bland, unfunny flick (with a screenplay credited to Carrie Solomon) obsolete before it even hit Netflix.
Not only does the premise and dialogue seem right out of a bad ’90s sitcom, so does Don Burgess’ cinematography. Everything is lit like it was filmed in front of a live studio audience (these characters apparently exist in a world without shadows) and there are pauses in the actors’ delivery as if they’re waiting for a laugh track that never appears.
What’s more, Efron and King play spoiled, bratty people who are so toxic for so long that it’s impossible to root for their happiness. By the time the credits rolled, I honestly didn’t care what happened to either of them. Kathy Bates, in a small role as the mother of Brooke’s long-deceased husband, is the only person who comes out unscathed – and that’s solely through sheer force of talent.
Finally, there’s a serious hurdle to the relationship at the heart of the film. There’s honestly no way to discuss it without sounding like a terrible person, so I’m just going to rip the Band-Aid off. Anyone with eyes is aware that Kidman and Efron are no strangers to cosmetic surgery. As such, despite their considerable acting skills, they’ve become so plastic looking it’s difficult for them to make facial expressions. That’s a huge problem in a movie where their characters are supposed to be madly in love yet conflicted about their feelings.
Grade: D+
Home Entertainment Spotlight
(Rated PG-13 for supernatural action/violence, language and suggestive references. Now available in 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
In this fourth installment of the once-beloved franchise (not counting Paul Feig’s underrated, over-hated reboot), the Spengler family (Carrie Coon, Mckenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard) and their close friend Gary Grooberson (Paul Rudd) move from Oklahoma to New York City to team up with the remaining original Ghostbusters (Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, Bill Murray and Annie Potts). When an evil force is inadvertently unleashed on the city, they must all work together to save the world from a second Ice Age. Special features include commentary with director/co-writer Gil Kenan; deleted/extended scenes; easter eggs; and behind-the-scenes featurettes.
(Not rated. Now available on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital.)
Giuseppe Tornatore, director of the classic drama Cinema Paradiso, helms this documentary about his longtime collaborator, the great Ennio Morricone. This moving, comprehensive profile of the legendary composer (who died in 2020) explores his early career in Italian pop music through his countless unforgettable film scores.
Tornatore captures insightful commentary from some of Morricone’s closest friends and contemporaries, including Bernardo Bertolucci, Marco Bellocchio, Giuliano Montaldo, Dario Argento, Clint Eastwood, Joan Baez, Quentin Tarantino and more. Special features include an interview with Tornatore; a behind-the-scenes featurette; a bonus scene; and the theatrical trailer.
Reach out to Josh Sewell at joshsewell81@gmail.com
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