A missing father and habitual fibber catfishes his son who is undergoing some troubles after being blocked. I Love My Dad will make you cringe in-between fits of raucous laughter. This is a movie that shows how far parents, even those who admit their poor parenting, can go to help their children in darkly comic creative detail. James Morosini as writer, director and star tells an insane story with clever editing and an unexpectedly moving screenplay. I Love My Dad also paints a true picture about loneliness and depression. Finding companionship online replaces a vacuum with hope. Only if your best friend is really your best friend.
Chuck Green (Patton Oswalt) stars as a dad never there for his son, Franklin (Morosini). Chuck has missed all of Franklin’s birthdays and graduations with stupid reasons. He always has a pathetic reason for failing to show up. Franklin battles depression and thoughts of suicide. His mom Diane (Amy Landecker) has totally cut him off from Chuck’s life forever. So does Franklin when he decides to have nothing to do with the man again
Chuck tells one colleague at work that his son has ghosted him. To Jimmy (Lil Rel Howery), it’s better to just start another account that Franklin can’t detect on social media sites at all costs, so that he could be distant but still follow him around until eternity comes calling itself upon them someday.Chuck decides to use Becca (Claudia Sulewski), a pretty waitress in the local diner as his social media double.Franklin puzzled by anonymous friend request then starts crushing on her girl like face.Becca considers herself successful after prying into the dating life of her own daughter only realize there’s no Carter or whatever she calls herself anymore.Mathew thinks high school girls are sluts because they don’t want boyfriends while Jeff says they are great.Some girls take good care of their pets, kids if you ask him any other day.Chuck makes the catfish even weirder by using a bunch of elaborate tricks to get closer to his son. He ends up being too good at it and Franklin want Leo is way into her.
Morosini’s staging of the deception is spot on. At all times when he texts or chats with her online, Becca appears to be there beside him. This imaginary girl is everything he thought she would be. Chuck uses this false Becca to try and make up for all his previous poor parenting incidents. For the first time in his life, the painfully shy Franklin feels something close to human inter-action.Morosini also shows brilliant editing here When he looks at Becca with blissful eyes before cutting away it shows a hobbled chuck sweating on an old flip phone.The timing is perfect and adds to the utter creepiness of Chuck’s scheme.
Lil Rel Howery as Jimmy and Rachel Dratch as Becca are great in their respective roles as Chuck’s girlfriend and boss respectively. They are like concerned bystanders watching a train wreck about to happen. I almost fell out of my chair laughing at their stupefied responses to Chuck’s brazenness.They are constantly reminding him that he has crossed the line.Patton Oswalt seems to have hit upon a formula that works for him comedically.He quietly juggles multiple cell phones in front of Franklin while also talking on one.You’ll gasp when you see how steamy things get once our lovers decide to take things further.
I Love My Dad always comes from a sweet place.This year’s SXSW Grand Jury Prize Narrative Feature Award Winner doesn’t intend anything hateful.Franklin isn’t been played by someone who wishes ill for him.Chuck genuinely worries about his son.And then shit hits the fan when it does blow up spectacularly.I feel that this climax throws an explosive embarrassment bomb.I cannot ever imagine forgiving being catfished.Look out for Franklin’s reaction.
Watch free movies on Fmovies
