Writer-director Christy Hall in her feature-length debut helms this introspective drama about a woman (Dakota Johnson), simply listed as Girlie in the credits, engaging in a surprisingly deep conversation with her old school cab driver, Clark (Sean Penn), as he drives her from JFK to her midtown apartment, normally a short trip prolonged by an accident on the freeway. (101-min.)
Editor’s note: Anna Starkey took the week off, so Glen’s friend Chuck Maxie stepped in.
Glen: For me, the oddest thing about this film is coming away with the feeling that I really liked both these characters, because they’re both deeply flawed. She’s having an affair with a married man. He’s sort of a knuckle-dragging man’s man. She likes to believe she can stand up for herself, but we see her capitulate in her text message interactions with her needy and frankly gross lover. He believes he’s a sage dispenser of wisdom, but what passes for insight often amounts to misogyny. And yet these two strangers have redeeming qualities, and in their own ways, they truly help one another work through their respective emotional baggage. The message seems to be, “people are complicated,” and Christy Hall’s debut delivers a compelling dissection of two particular human beings’ many contradictions.
Chuck: To me, it’s interesting that the film just hits the gas, and the characters develop as the film carries on. It’s shot at night in NYC, within a cab, and they’re in their own bubble for the most part. Yet, there is so much internal energy that counters their banter with a score card of sorts. Dakota Johnson, as the female lead, is fantastic! She showed depth and is quite funny, which is a tough act to balance. Sean Penn is a cinematic American icon, and he delivers again and again. He’s just interesting to watch and listen to as he pulls her out of her comfort zone, to put it mildly. It felt like the audience was witnessing a therapy session on wheels with the meter running and a destination that will end the session.
Glen: A rolling therapy session is a good way to put it. Clark figures out pretty quickly that she’s texting with a married man, and though reluctant at first, she realizes she needs to talk about her mixed feelings, and who better than with a cabbie she’ll most likely never see again? As their conversation continues and deepens, they begin to challenge one another to reveal their hidden feelings—feelings perhaps even hidden from themselves. The acting is what sells this one-set drama. You can see the paternal concern in Clark’s eyes as he watches her from the rearview mirror, and when the camera focuses on her face as she reacts to his words and thoughts, you see a flood of complicated emotions wash over her. I knew going in that Penn is masterful, but watching Johnson was a revelation. There’s nothing for these two actors to hide behind. It’s a remarkable debut film.
Chuck: Thankfully, there’s no culminating event that bonds them for eternity or even tomorrow. That would have cheapened their time together and the film. I also appreciate that there was no FX or CGI. Just two people hashing out their baggage on a dark city night. A sort of psychological excavation where characters unearthed bygone treasures and heartbreak. Both characters hold back for some time, but when pressed, both characters eventually pony up. When they do spill the beans, they’re actually helping themselves and each other. It’s not really one-upmanship, yet an attempt to clear the deck and cleanse some of their psyche’s clutter. In the end, yes, they are still flawed. Aren’t we all.
Senior Staff Writer Glen Starkey and freelancer Anna Starkey write Sun Screen. Glen compiles listings. Comment at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jul 4-14, 2024.