by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
How far would you go to rekindle a broken relationship with a family member? I cannot specifically relate, but what if it was your child? There was a long time that I did not have a relationship with my father, and he took more of a hands-off approach and waited years until I was ready to have a conversation with him. But that is not always the approach that a father might take to reconnect. Some might even cross plenty of lines out of desperation. Now that is the story that writer/director/star James Morosini tells in his new film, I Love My Dad.
What boundary pushing does Morosini take on with this new comedy? Chuck (Patton Oswalt) is a sad man who has not had a relationship with his son in years. After an attempted suicide by his son Franklin (Morosini), Chuck decides the best way to connect with him is to catfish him to open a dialogue. Chuck pretends to be a sweet waitress Becca (Claudia Sulewski) who he meets at a diner. This certainly causes plenty of seriously uncomfortable moments as he flirts with his son, sexts with his son, and leads him on with a loving relationship. There are merits to this film, but this ill-advised story and message (as it plays out) will turn off plenty of people.
How does Morosini try to leverage this controversial story to gain laughs and bring out emotions in the audience? The easiest reaction is disgust, which happens naturally with how the film plays out. Morosini utilizes some interesting storytelling elements as Becca appears in the space with Franklin while they message back and forth. Chuck gets disgusted at himself and will see himself with Franklin instead (they kiss as well). This is uncomfortable, as they are meant to be father and son. Even with an interesting approach to bringing these digital communications to life, Morosini just pushes those boundaries too far. It is hard to imagine what is the point besides trying to go out of his way to really unnerve his audience.
But does Morosini capture any genuine meaning and emotion in this strange and messed up tale? There are a few scenes that honestly pack some serious emotions. The looming presence of suicide is unnerving, and packs extra tension and suspense into many scenes. Due to the setup, there are some scenes I could barely sit through because Morosini was able to capture real tangible awkwardness. The rekindling of a broken father-son relationship is a poignant foundation for a story, and the script finds plenty of moments to maximize the emotional potential.
But what elements really offer the most out of this experience? The actors. Oswalt is fantastic, as he balances on a crazy tightrope of despicable and sympathetic. He sells regret and anxiety so well that the feeling just bleeds through the screen right to the audience. Morosini gets to flex a lot of range from his blank and distant actual self to the liberated and reinvigorated version of himself interacting with his imaginary Becca. There are a few moments as well that pack quite the emotional punch. Supporting acts like Amy Landecker, Lil Rel Howery, and Rachel Dratch play their roles well and add some good, solid footing.
Is this crazy experience worth taking? If you are even a bit repulsed by just hearing the synopsis to this film… don’t even think about it. Even if you take the dive, you will probably be pushed away by how much Morosini is determined to push this idea off a cliff. There are moments that are incredibly hard to sit through. That is a shame because there are some strong performances and genuine moments that occasionally get to shine through this shock concept.
Score: 4/10
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