A father juggles his kids, his job, and his love life.
COMEDY/DRAMA
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Daddy Longlegs (2009)Written and Directed by Benny Safdie and Josh Safdie
Starring Ronald Bronstein, Sage Ranaldo, Frey Ranaldo, Eleonore Hendricks |
The Safdie brothers recently broke out with the spectacular Uncut Gems and have won many fans over, including myself. It was the 1-2 punch of Good Time and Gems that had me interested in the Safdie brothers past work. Daddy Longlegs is over a decade old now and has aged beautifully. If you like either of those first two I mentioned, then Daddy Longlegs is something for you. I would even say it’s just as good as those two.
Lenny is a divorced father of two young boys and a projectionist at a theater in Manhattan. He gets custody of his sons just two weeks out of the year, so he obviously wants to make the best of the short amount of time. The three of them constantly play games, but Lenny behaves like a big child and argues with other adults all the time. He has an on and off girlfriend that helps out when she can and a wide array of friends and neighbors who help him with the kids. His plate is full but his attitude isn’t applicable to being a parent in every situation. Lenny has to ask himself what his true role is in his son's lives. Daddy Longlegs is a gut punch, but there’s plenty of laughter along the way. Ronald Bronstein delivers a brilliant performance as Lenny, who is an inspiring and infuriating character. The Safdie brothers are so good at writing loveable losers. They kind of do it all when it comes to their films and I respect that. Josh’s work as the cinematographer is so impressive. I personally love the up close and shaky style that they bring to the table. The Safdie’s also have this amazing ability to make New York a massive character. It’s Lenny’s home, but you get a sense that there might be somewhere better for him to be. |