'I Love My Dad' Review: A Twisted But Strangely Endearing Indie Comedy [SXSW 2022]
It takes bravery to tell this abnormal tale of catfish courtship, but director James Morosini shows no fear in sharing his true story.
It may be an ultimate pretense to question if a film is a ‘festival film’ or not, but sometimes, just sometimes, that label fits, especially when considering the festival audience it’s being shown to. You could not ask for a better fit than writer/director James Morosini’s perverse comedy and the SXSW festival. They were made for each other. I Love My Dad is not a film you’re likely to see playing on Nickelodeon or ABC’s Freeform channel, but it is a strangely charming, heartfelt and family driven comedy.
I Love My Dad follows the ‘true’ story of Franklin (played by Morosini as well), a young man who is suffering through severe mental health issues, having just been released from a facility after attempting suicide. Meanwhile, his extremely unreliable and estranged father, Chuck (Patton Oswalt) tries desperately to reconnect with his son, despite Frankiln’s wishes to keep the toxicity of the relationship as far away as possible. Chuck, itching out of his skin that he can’t check on Franklin, loosely takes ‘advice’ from his best friend Jimmy (Lil Rey Howery) and sets up a fake social media profile to befriend his son and check in on his life. Chuck, basing this online persona on a real life waitress that once showed him kindness begins inadvertently catfishing his son, and eventually the online relationship spirals out of control as Franklin eventually falls for ‘Becca’ (Claudia Sulewski), and Chuck not wanting to lose touch or hurt his son further, comedically can’t find a way out of the situation.
Franklin is more than damaged goods, but Morosini plays the character beautifully, undoubtedly because of the personal connection to his own emotional state and experiences. From the first frame we see Franklin, there’s a vulnerability that transfers through the screen. He truly feels uncomfortable in his own skin, he has trouble communicating with women, he has trouble even returning to the safety and love of his own Mom, and it was so important o the rest of the film that we see this right away so we understand his mindset.
Morosini, a more seasoned actor than writer or director has certainly found himself with this story. It helps that the story is literally about him, but having not seen any of his other work as a writer or director (which is solely a filmography of shorts and independent films), it seems impossible that he has topped the well-crafted writing of I Love My Dad. Essentially a two-character film, Morosini expertly introduced the dynamic, the core characteristics and tragic flaws of both Franklin and Chuck in the first ten minutes of the film. While audiences will side with Franklin, Chuck is also not without sympathy, despite his many character flaws and god-awful decision making. Oswalt has built a career out of being an everyman of sorts, and even in this comedically disgusting and disturbing situation, there’s a lot to laugh about rather than what could have easily turned into a story vilifying a pathetic father. That’s a testament to Oswalt’s likability and relatability, as well as, once again, the strength of the writing.
That isn’t to say that Morosini did not show aptitude as a director either. The creative mixture of montages and quick cuts between different realities, whether they be online, imaginary or grotesquely incestual really heightened the comedy (and the discomfort). One of the more memorable scenes is when Chuck is copying and pasting a dirty text exchange, sexting his raunchy girlfriend, Erica (SNL alum Rachel Dratch) and doubling up as Becca in an identical exchange with Franklin. Another superb decision in terms of direction was having Becca as a virtual apparition, often joining Franklin in his moments of loneliness made for a real connection to the dream girl. Sulewski, despite the dark reality behind who her character really was, played Becca with such delight and charm that it was easy to fall in love with her along with Franklin.
Therein lies the major strength of I Love My Dad; the premise is potentially very sad, or desperate or twisted, and yet the audience can connect with the sadness of Franklin, the desperation of Chuck and… well granted you can’t connect with the twisted things Chuck is doing as his online persona, but it is still comical. As mentioned, this film is almost a perfect film for a festival like SXSW because it is one of those rare gems that major studios would shy away from, and yet is such a hidden gem about connecting with family and the lengths we’ll go to make things right for those we love.