Written and Directed by James Morosini
Starring James Morosini, Patton Oswalt, Claudia Sulewski, Lil Rel Howery, Amy Landecker, and Rachel Dratch

I am so delighted and impressed by what I saw in this comedy from writer, director, and star James Morosini, I am compelled to compose a mini review of it!

Disconcertingly based on something that really happened to James Morosini, I Love My Dad chronicles Chuck’s (Patton Oswalt) attempts to rekindle a relationship with his son, Franklin (James Morosini) after being cut off… by catfishing him! The profile Chuck chooses to hide behind is that of a kind-hearted and attractive waitress he meets at a diner, Becca (Claudia Sulewski). As Franklin begins to develop serious feelings for his online companion, just how far is Chuck willing to go to maintain some form of contact with his son, regardless of how awkward it gets!?

This surprising and admirable comedy encourages its viewers to be as forgiving to Chuck as his real-life son clearly has been. It thoroughly deserves that forgiveness too. Though things didn’t go quite as far in real life as they do in this movie, Morosini has publicly stated that emotionally this story is entirely true. I think the premise I’ve shared alone warrants those sentiments from the creator, maker, and star. He’s adopted a rather unique and interesting method to telling the story by visually portraying many of the online interactions. For instance, Franklin and Becca appear in the same scenes together, simultaneously re-enacting the exchanging of messages from his perspective, with cuts showing Chuck’s perspective too. This format is sometimes a bit clunky, but it also produces many laugh-out-loud scenes that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. I guarantee there’ll be places you don’t think this film is going that it absolutely does go to! The dread I Love My Dad builds for Franklin’s inevitable forthcoming moment of realisation is palpable, especially considering his current mental health state. Nevertheless, Morosini’s film never becomes serious or dark, truly committing to maintaining his story’s humorous elements just as much as he opts to view and portray his father’s actions from an admirably empathetic lens. The pairing of James Morosini (who can look quite a lot like a younger Jake Gyllenhaal) and Patton Oswalt is one of the standouts of 2023 too.

I Love My Dad is streaming on Paramount + and is available for rent in Australia.

Review by Leigh for Moviedoc

Follow on Twitter – Moviedoc / LIKE on Facebook – @moviedoc13 / Follow on Instagram – moviedoc_melbourne

©