Una notte a New York

When I first saw the trailer, I was like I will watch this movie because I like these genre stuff (simple storyline ,low budget, ,Relatable deep conversations etc ).

After watching this Movie, I mean all I can say about that the storyline is pretty streamlined but it could be better. The performance by Sean and Dakota both were top notch. I wish there was less swearing other than that the conversations were quite sincere. The bond shown in the movie kept in their heart knowing they might not meet each other ever again and their conversations remained in their heart for the rest of their lives.

There are a lot of elements of this movie that touched me. One is the familiarity and authenticity of setting- New York City's JFK to Manhattan. Familiar territory here and handled with realism. There has been a movement in film's post Covid to shoot small film's that are story, script, and actor driven-perhaps for budgetary reasons. This movie meets that criteria. Very much like this year's, His Three Daughters, the movie could easily have been a play. Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson are the entire cast and the stars. The film is founded on believing their relationship, and evolving familiarity, as cab driver and passenger. Very well done. Dakota Johnson really impressed me. While I know Sean Penn is a great actor, I had no idea Dakota Johnson was so good.

Girlie (Dakota Johnson) arrives in NYC at JFK and boards a yellow cab driven by Clark (Sean Penn). They have an intense conversation.

This is one of those two-handers. The actors are mostly in a confined space by themselves. Girlie does constantly text with somebody and that person is almost a third character in the play. It is a rich cinematic tradition with movies like My Dinner with Andre. In a way, this is more engaging since they start out as strangers. The audience is discovering them as they do. There are some great ups and downs in the conversation although one turn falters in my opinion. She is telling the story about her father and Clark doesn't push her at the end. Instead, he lets it float away. That is a human instinct, but for the drama, he needs to push. There are obvious implications and he needs to give them voice. It's also a time in the story where the tension needs to keep building all the way to the climax. In the end, they never considered what I was thinking and that's a little disappointing. The script seems to be smarter than that. Still, it's a very engaging ride all the way to the end.

I saw Daddio with a multigenerational group of people a few days ago. It is more powerful, poignant, intriguing, insightful, and engaging than I expected, given that there are just two main characters in the film. Turns out there was a wealth of emotion, humanity and dissonant "wisdom" revealed during the interplay of the actors portraying these two characters. The movie sparked a lot of conversation, reflection, and varied perspectives among the members of our movie going group. All of us were unified in praising the striking nature of the dialogue, the unique nature of the production, and the fantastic performances of Sean Penn and Dakota Johnson in this film.

8.0 stars.

This is a film that everyone must see at least once. This is where you take your troubles and dreams and talk to someone you love and trust, and tell them about a person in your life called Daddio.

What a compelling story about a complex woman and a down-to-earth taxi driver. As they continue to talk, he pulls all of her sorrows out of her and it's all on the table for discussion and healing. But she is not just an ordinary woman, she's also a person of great empathy and she will win this game of honest discourse and reparation of the soul.

I was profoundly touched by these two wonderful actors.